Dangerous Woman
by ismamora07
Summary: All Riley Matthews has to do, is seduce the fuck out of Lucas Friar. And honestly, how hard can it be? Rucas. AU.
1. Broken Heart

**A/N: Hi guys i'm new to the world of FanFiction and I wanted to start with a concept that I find interesting. Let me know what you think!**

 **Rated T.**

 **I have put a lot of work and time into the future chapters written and ready to be published. Things to keep in mind: Riley went to visit Maya because they don't live in the same state. Story takes place in a fictional town called WaterLake. If I missed any form of information I will add it to the next chapters.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Meets World or the OG (original) characters in the story. I only own the concept of the story.**

* * *

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 _A broken heart is what changes people_

 _-Cuca CaldelraPires Poltera_

 **[]**

"I want to know," Riley demanded as she stared at her best friend, Maya. "I want to know how he hurt you."

Maya had her face buried in her green pillow. Her dirty blonde hair draped over her head as she shook her head no and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Maya. If you don't tell me how it went down then how am I supposed to help you?"

Maya didn't respond. It took a few seconds before she raised her head and looked at Riley, "It's not worth it."

"No," Riley immediately fired back. "What's not worth it; is you crying for a guy. That's so unlike you..."

"It is, if it's Lucas Friar."

"Why do you keep saying his full name? He's not some celebrity he's a regular teenager!"

"You don't get it." Maya said as she let out her tears for the billionth time that day.

"What don't I get?"

"He was the one. It was him who started it from the beginning. God," she cried placing her hands on her forehead. "He just wanted sex and when I didn't give it to him... he dumped me. I should've known...I'm such an idiot."

"You're not. Maya any guy would be a fool to play you like that. Especially Lucas, that asshole."

She watched as her best friend cried uncontrollably. She could only count the handful of times she'd seen Maya cry and they were all because of her loss in hope. Maya was familiar with the disappointment and outcome of hope, she'd known from the very beginning that she would somehow wind up hurt but she never listened.

"Sometimes it helps by talking about it."

"I already told you. I don't want to talk about it-"

"I did not fly here last minute to hear you say that! For the love of God just tell me what happened so I can help you. So I can talk to you and help you feel better."

She gulped down the lump in her throat and stared at Riley. "He really hurt me..."

Riley's eyes teared at the words of her friend, "Can you please tell me?"

"It all happened when..."

 **[]**

 _Maya sat alone in the art room wanting to start on a new piece. She stared at the white paper in front of her and sighed, just then a chiseled face with beautiful green eyes walked in and stared at Maya. He smiled and walked towards her direction._

 _He sat down next to her and waited. They were in a awkward silence for a few seconds before Maya said, "Hi."_

 _He looked at her and smiled one more time, "Hi."_

 _She nodded and he smiled in return, "Can I help you?"_

 _He stared at her in return._

 _Maya looked at him and couldn't help but smile. He was hot._ _He wore a blue shirt that hugged his muscles gracefully, he had a messy comb over but it only made him look better. His white teeth made multiple appearances as so did his noteworthy cheekbones._

 _"What can I help you with?"_

 _"Your number..."_

 _"My what?" she arched a brow._

 _He took out his phone and smiled. "It's not in my phone."_

 _Maya smiled and nodded. "That was a good one..."_

 _"Positive?" he questioned. "If that didn't work I have another one." He then stood up, but Maya pulled him back down._

 _"No," she said immediately, "You did good the first time."_

 _"Good," he said as he handed her his phone._

 _She smiled and punched her number in._

 _The teen smiled covetously before placing it in his pockets. "I'll leave you to it."_

 _As he proceeded to walk out Maya said, "You know most guys ask the girl for their name first instead of their number..."_

 _When he reached the door he turned around to look at her, "I'll see you around, Maya."_

 _Maya smiled when he said her name and turned back to the white paper. Suddenly knowing what she wanted to paint..._

 **[]**

"He doesn't sound like he'd do harm to you," Riley mumbled in response.

"I barely knew him then, I didn't expect him too."

She nodded, "What happened after that?"

 **[]**

 _"You showed up," Lucas smiled as Maya took her seat next to him at a diner._

 _"Wow," she began as she looked at him. "For a guy like you, you sure as hell aren't confident."_

 _Lucas smiled and looked at his milkshake. "I'm not insecure."_

 _"A guy like you wouldn't be."_

 _He smirked playfully._

 _"Lucas can I ask you something?"_

 _He rose a brow._

 _"We've been going to the same schools for years. We've walked right by each other and you've never once noticed me. Why did that change?"_

 _"I finally understand beautiful," he smiled gracefully._

 _She beamed, "That has to be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me..."_

 _"Really?" he chuckled._

 _"Are you gonna buy me something or am I gonna have to walk myself home?"_

 _His laugh cut short "No ma'am."_

 **[]**

"I still don't hate him," Riley told Maya as they rested on her bed.

Maya scoffed at the memories; "He was the perfect gentleman. But he hid behind deception."

Riley let Maya lean her head on her shoulder as they both stared at the ceiling. "How did it end?"

 **[]**

 _Maya paced towards the girl Lucas was talking to and barked, "Out!"_

 _The girl gave her a look before she turned to Lucas, "Asshole!"_

 _He smiled and watched as she walked away, "It's all good girl."_

 _Maya stared hard at him, "Who's she?"_

 _Lucas turned to her and rolled his eyes, "She's just a friend." He drank from his beer and took out his phone._

 _Maya didn't know where they were. All she knew was that her friend told her Lucas was getting real cozy with a girl she'd hardly seen. She found him on an alley right by a 7/11._

 _She took the beer from him and demanded answers._

 _"Fine! You wanna know who she is?"_

 _Maya stared at him firmly._

 _"She my bitch. A girl who will satisfy me when you won't."_

 _Maya felt a tear run down her cheek._

 _"And this isn't the first time," he stated._

 **[]**

"From there he told me I was worthless. He called me ugly and horrible names. I didn't know what to say so I just walked away...I should've told him what I felt. I should've told him how angry I was."

"When did he say those things?"

"Four days ago," she answered. "That's when I called you because I really needed you."

Riley kissed Maya's forehead, "What are you gonna do?"

"What?" Maya asked as she sniffled.

"How are you gonna get him back?"

"I'm not-"

"What?" she was quick to say.

She sat upright and looked back at her, "Riley, i'm not going to do anything."

"Why not?"

"Because the girl I used to be died a long time ago."

Riley stared at her best friend for a brief second then looked at her hand, "Well i'm not gonna sit back and have you crying over some stupid guy."

"What?"

"The boy is manipulative! Someone has to teach him a lesson."

"No," she shook her head. "It's not worth it."

"What?" she probed.

"It's not worth it Riley."

"He lied and cheated. You have every right to get him back!"

"How?"

"By playing him..." Riley answered almost immediately.

"I don't-I don't understand," she stammered.

Riley began to formulate a plan in her head. "We play him."

"How are we gonna do that?"

"We play his game. He lied, he cheated, he's done more and that's what we're gonna do to him. Or at least I am..." Riley advised.

Her lips thinned, "You want to hurt him?"

"The way he hurt you," she nodded.

 _I'll play dirty if I have to. Lucas Friar; you're a goner._

 **[]**

 **A/N: Let me know what you think by following and favoring the story. Don't forget to leave a review, =) This story WILL get better.**


	2. Everything About Lucas

**A/N: Thank you so much for the kind reviews and all the reads. I have never gotten so many notifications and I am so glad, please, keep them coming. You have no idea how much it means to me. I'd like to acknowledge everyone's reviews in the beginning of every chapter, but unfortunately, for the Guest's I will not. Please make sure to give yourself a username. It would help A LOT.**

 **ANONYMOUS5GMW: You were the first reviewer, so thank you. And you weren't overthinking anything. Maya and Riley will have a complication with the whole seduction scheme and Maya will put Riley in her place, you'll see. But Rucas will be portrayed differently in this story, you'll just have to read and find out. =)**

 **KillEmWithKindess02: Always means a lot coming from you. Thank you for the advice and for the ideas.**

 **neniaelyne: There's nothing more for me than when somebody says that. And I just want to thank you for reading because I have put a lot of work in these chapters. I'm glad you're in love with my story.**

 **naelacy: You'll be more intrigued later on. You just have to read more. Thank you.**

 **ruasbabes: So glad you love it. Have fun reading.**

* * *

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][]**

Riley stood outside of Maya's home with her phone to her ear. She anxiously waited for someone in her family to pick up as she stared at the green grass.

"Honey," Topanga clarified as she answered.

"Hey, mom. How's everything going?"

"Great. You and Maya both have us worried, what happened?"

She sighed before answering. "Maya and her boyfriend broke up."

"Oh. The one she was always talking about? That poor child. Can I talk to her?"

"Actually, she doesn't want to talk to anyone. She's been crying for the past hour and I barely got her to stop." A wave of silence fell on the two before Riley said, "She wants me to stay the entire summer."

"What?"

"I know," she informed. "It sounds loony but I can't blame her. She's not the Maya I know right now."

"Honey, what about work?"

"Mom, i'm pretty sure you can give me a couple of days off."

"Who's going to help me out when Ben and Patricia can't?"

"That won't happen. I'll be home soon. And you always have Auggie."

"I don't know about this Riley. I mean you don't even have enough money-"

"I brought money. I'll be fine, Mom."

"Riley I have to talk to your dad - "

"Maya tried to kill herself," Riley informed impatiently, even though she lied merely to convince her mom in letting her stay. "I can't leave. Not now."

They talked for two minutes before Topanga came to an understanding. "Promise me you'll call me everyday."

"I will," Riley nodded.

"Take care sweetie."

"By mom..."

"Love you."

 **[][]**

"What did she say?" Maya asked as Riley entered the house.

She nodded, "Ready to make a bad boy pay?"

They hugged for seconds before Maya broke down once again. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Staying," she answered. "You're the best friend anyone can possibly ask for and I don't deserve you."

Riley shook her head, "You of all people do."

 **[][]**

Riley knew she was capable of reaching Lucas' radar. She had the looks and she had the body, but her choice in wear didn't exactly flatter that.

Riley had never put attention into her clothes. She preferred comfortable trousers rather than skinny jeans but she'd have to change if she wanted his attention.

While Riley and Maya briefly planned their way into Lucas' heart, they shopped for clothes at a nearby mall. Riley thought about it as retail therapy for Maya.

The two shopped and bought a whole bunch of clothes. Maya got a haircut because she wanted to look different and Riley didn't see anything wrong with that. She'd never been dumped because she'd never been in a relationship; and from the looks of it, she'd want to change too.

They stopped at the food court and ordered food from Subway. They sat on a two person table and enjoyed themselves.

"I need you to tell me everything about Lucas," Riley informed.

"Like?" Maya asked while she took a sip from her drink.

"What's there to know about him? Is there anything important? Any weaknesses? Is there something he's emotional too?"

Maya scoffed, "Nothing about him is important."

"What about his friends?"

"I don't know. He has four of them."

"Which one is the most attractive?"

"Lucas," she answered.

Riley rolled her eyes, "Who's second?"

"That'd be his friend Tyler."

"Show me a picture."

Maya took out her phone and clicked on the Instagram app. A few seconds followed before she faced the screen in Riley's direction.

Her mouth fell open, "Holy-!" covering her mouth, she looked around in embarrassment. Hoping nobody heard her.

Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink before she grabbed the phone from Maya's hand. "Oh my God. Look at his eyes," her eyes widened. "Look at his abs..."

Maya laughed.

Riley tapped out of the picture and looked at his most recent one. "He's throwing a party..."

Maya arched a brow, "He is?"

She handed her the phone, "Says everyone's invited. Should we go?"

"Are you crazy?"

"No. I'm smart. If we show up to that party i'll bet you anything Lucas will be there. That's mission 1. Remember?"

"Yeah, but don't you think we should plan more-?"

"What other possible opportunity is there to run into the guy during the summer?" Riley questioned, "It's now or never and I vote now."

Maya nodded while a smile crept from her lips, "Let's go break a bad boys heart."

 **[][]**

It was now seven in the afternoon as Riley and Maya spend the past hour and a half getting ready.

Riley rocked a black lace crop top with black high waisted jeans. She had on simple brown eye-shadow with winged eyeliner and maroon red heels. For the first time she labeled herself as 'hot'.

As she stared in the mirror; she caught a hint of movement from the corner of her eyes. When she turned around Maya stood there all glamoured up. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail while her face was embellished in heavy makeup and her face warming bangs. She looked gorgeous, but completely unrecognizable.

The blonde modeled black slacks with a white blouse.

Upon eyeing her clothes, Riley's smile thinned, "No."

"Why?" she walked towards the mirror. "This is something Lucas had never seen me in."

"You look like a cop," Riley informed as she examined her choice of wear. "Might as well put on the badge."

Maya shook her head as she walked back towards her closet. She came out wearing skinny jeans and a back top.

Riley smiled, "I am surprisingly attracted to you right now."

"You can't tell me that when you're wearing those jeans," Maya joked. "That ass can't be tamed."

They both laughed as they walked out the room. "Remember what you gotta do..."

"Always..."

 **[][]**

"This is his house?" Riley questioned once they approached it. She looked at Maya then back at the house. "Tyler lives here?"

She nodded. "Big isn't it? You should see Lucas's..."

The house was an Italian style stucco mansion with a stoned driveway and gated fence. The fence was open but it was still nicely built.

"Tyler better not be a fuck-"

"He's not. He's just..."

"Stuck up?"

"No."

"Overly confident?"

She shook her head no. "He's too good to be true."

Riley furrowed her eyebrows but Maya walked along.

They entered the immaculately decorated mansion and walked towards the backyard. Along the way hordes of underage minors held red cups as they sexually grinded on one other. Riley's hair cascaded down her shoulders in flawless unbraided waves capturing the attention of many guys along the way.

They stood under a contemporary trellis and observed their surroundings.

"There he is," Maya advised.

Once Riley turned around her eyes widened, "That's Lucas?"

Maya swallowed the lump in her throat, "That's him."

Riley stared at him, but then quickly turned to Maya. "How do I make him notice me?"

The blonde smirked.

"What?"

"I know how."

"How?"

"You sing."

Riley shook her head, "I am not going to sing for him."

"Then don't. Sing for someone else."

"I'm not singing."

"Why not? Don't forget you entered a singing competition and won second place. Get your ass on that stage."

"I was twelve-" She looked at Maya and Riley was at a point where she was going to say no but she saw the way Maya stared at her, she sighed and took a deep breath. "Just this one time."

 **[][]**

 **A/N: Let me know what you think about the second chapter so far. And what song do you think Riley will sing?** **Don't forget to follow, favorite and review this story. Thank you. If many of you are concerned with my updating schedule, know most chapters have been written. But I wanna make time with this story so expect an update every _Friday!_**


	3. Dangerous Woman

**A/N: Always love reading your reviews. Updates come every Friday's.**

 **neniaelyn: Thank you. When I wrote this chapter - last month - I knew from the very beginning that their relationship would be very tactic. It's planned. It would be like no other Rucas story. I describe their relationship as sexy and exciting. Oh, and where do I start with Tyler? He will have some moments that influence the future chapters. The song I chose might be cliche, after all, the story was named after the song. And I don't mind double reviews, only shows me you care.**

 **First Guest who reviewed: Thank you so much for the review. Of course it's Dangerous Woman, but was that the song she was gonna sing in the first place?**

 **volleyballer82: Thank you for reviewing and taking your time to read. The story will get more interesting.**

 **Second Guest who reviewed: If you'd be kind enough to give yourself a username, that'd help a lot. And I privately talked to the rightful owner of the story. I have a friend who has read various chapters from that story and they let me know. But no. They aren't similar.**

* * *

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][][]**

A glass runway was placed directly over the large pool granting people access to walk on it and swim under it. The runway connected to the stage as Riley warily made her way towards it. A man in a thick jacket and gray hoodie looked at her and smirked, "Song proposal?"

"Something like that," she nodded. "There's this guy I like, and I want him to notice me...I was hoping I could sing...?"

"That's some lucky dude. What song will it be, sugar?"

Riley turned back to Maya and nodded. She smiled back giving her the thumbs up.

 _Here's goes nothing._

 **[][][]**

The DJ placed a microphone stand in the center of the stage and pulled the microphone to his lips, "Everyone listen here," he constructed. "We have here this one confident, beautiful lady saying she want some dude's attention...she's gonna sing a song for him."

Mixed reactions came from the party goers. Some cheered while others yelled out:

 _Yo girl. Let me get your number._

 _Turn around for me, beautiful._

 _Ya'll. We all know it's me,_ a voice called out. She turned to the person who said it. Lucas mother effing Friar.

All eyes went to Riley as the song began.

 _Don't need permission, made my decision to test my limits;_

 _'cause it's my business. God is my witness, start what I finished._

 _Don't need no hold up, taking control of...this kind of moment._

 _I'm locked and loaded, completely focused, my mind is open._

Riley's vocals were sultry yet powerful. She managed to capture everyone's attention. Tyler's too, but mainly Lucas'.

 _All that you got, skin to skin, Oh my God; don't ya stop, boy_

 _Somethin 'bout you; makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

 _somethin 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout you._

 _Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't_

 _somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout ..._

She stole a glance to Lucas every chance she could, wanting to know if he was watching or not. And to her luck...he was.

 _Nothing to proof and i'm bulletproofin' and know what i'm doing._

 _The way we're moving_

 _like introducing us to a new thing._

 _I wanna savor, save it for later t_ _he taste of flavor, 'cause i'm a taker,_ _'cause i'm a giver, it's only nature,_ _I live for danger._

 _All that you got skin to skin_

 _oh my God, don't ya stop boy._

 _Something bout you, makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

 _somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout you_

Riley took out the microphone from the stand and began her walk. She went down the steps and into the runway, not missing a single beat.

 _Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't_

 _somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout you_

 _All girls wanna be like that, bad girls underneath like that_

 _You know how i'm feeling insane,_

 _all girls wanna be like that_

 _bad girls underneath like that._

 _You know how i'm feeling insane._

Riley strictly made her way towards the aplenty group who surprisingly wasn't far from where she was. Tyler stood there with his friends, beside him was Lucas sending a smirk in her direction. Their eyes had met for a brief second before she turned to look at Tyler, pressing her body on him. Her back was now facing his chest as she made the 'moaning' notes, she smiled when she felt his hands gently fall on her hips.

 _Somethin 'bout you, makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

 _somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout you_

 _Makes me wanna do things; I shouldn't_

 _somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout you_

 _All girls wanna be like that, bad girls underneath like that_

 _You know how i'm feeling insane_

 _All girls wanna be like that, bad girls underneath like that, you know how i'm feeling insane_

Riley turned back to see Lucas reaction, she couldn't help but smirk when his lips fell into a thin line. She winked at Tyler, and he smiled in return.

 _Somethin 'bout you, somethin 'bout, somethin 'bout you._

Teens cheered from end to end as Riley sheepishly muttered the word 'thank you.'

 **[][][]**

"That's my boy," a friend of their's patted Tyler as they huddled in a group.

They were next to a line of decorated topiary trees while Lucas' tried to find the girl that sent needing smirks his way.

"Someone gettin blowed tonight," one of them joked.

"Nah man," Tyler defended. "I don't even know her name."

"You don't need to know her name."

Tyler turned around to see if she was anywhere near...

"Look, she got him tied around her finger..." they burst into a peal of laughter as one of them realized Lucas' wasn't joining in.

"She over there making Lucas look like a fool too..."

Lucas shot him a glare before slapping the back of his head. "Not my type."

"What are you talkin' about? She's way out of your league," he chastised.

"Look, man," Farkle said as he placed both his hands on Tyler's shoulders. "If you don't go after her, I will."

They laughed, "I don't even know where she's at."

"Yeah, well..." Lucas began staring passed him, "Something tells me you don't need to."

He turned around and saw her with a friend. A smile was directed at Riley as he approached her.

"You gonna tell me your name or leave me gaping?"

"Would it matter?" she asked.

"It'd help."

"In that case...Riley."

Tyler gently grasped her hand, placing a light kiss on her knuckles, glancing up at her with his brown eyes. "Tyler."

 _And now we have their attention._

 **[][][]**

 ** _A/N: Let me know what you think about this chapter by dropping a review. Thank you so much for reading._**


	4. A Complete Badass

**Writers Note: Updates come every Fridays.**

 **UnknownWriterPerson: You have to be the most nicest Lucaya shipper I know to date. And originally, Riley was going to sing Let Me Love You by Ariana Grande, but I stayed with Dangerous Woman. I agree, if Rucas played like this on TV, I'd be more invested in their relationship. Thank you so much for reviewing.**

 **volleyballer82: In Girl Meets World, Riley is portrayed in a unique way. They even made a ep about it. I wanted Riley to be different. Because this story [in my opinion] fits a Lucaya/Joshaya perspective. And we all know Riley would do anything for Maya if she ever came across a bad relationship. Thank you for taking your time to read a chapter from my story.**

 **Guest28: I love Rucas too. You'll only have to stick with this story to see where I take them.**

 **Guest: That day is now. Just know I update every Fridays. Sort of like an actual Tv show. The ones that leave you waiting for a whole week. Lol.**

 **amymayy2003: Thank you. Have fun reading.**

 **KillEmWithKindess02: I see what you did there. You're so kind. (See what I did there?)**

 **Guest: It took me about one month to write eleven chapters. 1-11 were already written before I published the story and I wanted to take a break. That is why I decided to make the chapters weekly instead of daily. I hope you don't mind. I'm currently on a break from school and I am writing again. I still don't know how the story will end but I can guarantee, it wont end with them staying together. They'll get their happily ever after, but we still don't know how.**

* * *

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][][][]**

"Where does a guy like you, spend most of his time in a house like this?" Riley questioned as she followed Tyler up to the second story chambers. She placed her hand on the fancy railings and ascended the steps.

"If I told you it wouldn't be special anymore," he smiled.

"Bummer."

Tyler opened the door to a nicely lit balcony which overlooked the party, "I spend most of my time up here."

"For what reason?"

He stared at Riley contemplating her nicely facial points and overwhelming brown orbs. "I'll tell you when I know who you are."

Riley jerked her head in his direction and said, "Do you not like a mystery?"

"I do," he replied coyly. "But when it comes to girls, it tends to be different."

"What would you like to know?"

"Where you're from?" he suggested. "Why would you sing to me?"

They placed their hands on the railing and stared in different directions, "I like you. That's why."

Tyler smiled, and Riley laughed.

"You gonna ask me to dance or are you gonna gush about me liking you?"

He grunted and collected himself, "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled and placed her hand in his, "Lead the way."

 **[][][][]**

Tyler and Riley walked out hand in hand, receiving smirks and cheers along the way. They stopped once they reached his group of friends and Riley was surprised to see Farkle and Maya in a discussion.

"Ah, guys this is Riley," he introduced. "That's Farkle," he pointed to a fairly built, nice featured, guy with a million dollar smile. "Zay," a dark skinned, brown eyed lad, "Brandon, and..." Tyler's eyes went to Lucas who was making out with a dirty blonde. "That would be Lucas."

In between the kiss Lucas' eyes shifted to Tyler then went to Riley. He departed his lips from the craving blonde and dismissed her as if she was nothing but an animal.

"Forgive him. He can't go a day without kissing something."

"I can tell," she mumbled, only loud enough for Tyler to hear.

As Lucas approached them, Riley was slightly overwhelmed by the tanned guy. His strapping arms peeked out from under his rolled up sleeves, she observed his dangerous smirk sent her way and tousled hair; combed into a comb-over.

"This is the chick that sang to you, right?"

Tyler nodded as he placed his hand on Riley's back.

Lucas felt his gaze lower to her lips then down to her toned abs before meeting her brown orbs, "Maybe one day you'll sing to me."

The brunette jerked her head in Tyler's direction, "How 'bout that dance?"

 **[][][]**

Riley's back faced Tyler's chest for the tenth time that night as they mindlessly danced to the music.

Lucas contemplated over their every move, not understanding why he was slightly angry to see her with him. A blonde with a familiar voice roused him from his intellectual thoughts and he turned to her so their eyes could meet.

"You jealous?"

He furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment, "Have we met before?"

"Do you watch porn?" she questioned.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"I'm Chloe," Maya lied. "And I'm not a porn star."

He laughed, "Trust me. I'd be more interested if you were."

"Most guys say that."

"I was serious, though, have we met?"

Maya shook her head, "We haven't."

"You were with that girl, Riley. Right?"

Maya nodded, "Why? Ya interested."

He turned in Riley's direction and watched as she danced on Tyler, "In sleeping with her? Yes."

"It'd only be you who ends up falling."

"Doubt it," he said immediately. "I don't know if you know about me, but here, girls are attracted to me."

"But here," she pointed to the center of his pants. "It's the other way around, isn't it?"

He smirked, "Why don't we head out back and see."

"Flattered, but no thanks."

"Your loss," he mumbled.

"If you want Riley's attention you have to have her wrapped around your finger," Maya began. "She likes it when a guy is physical."

Lucas spaced out for a second but then shook his head no, "I don't do "physical."

"Then try seducing her. You wanna have a good night, right?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"You're a smart guy. You'll figure it out," she stood up and sauntered toward his group of friends. It didn't take long before she had Brandon following her towards the dance floor.

 **[][][][]**

Riley walked out their bathroom, her facial features embellished in astonishment. The bathroom was nearly the size of her room.

While making a left, she felt a strong hand pull on her. Before she knew it, she was being hauled into a closet. Her screams were muffled by his hand while her back was thumped into the wall. When the lights turned on Riley exhaled in relief. It was Lucas.

"You asshole," she spoke when he removed his hand.

His laughter said it all.

"Apologize."

"You're right. I am so truly, deeply sorry," his voice was sincere but his eyes said otherwise.

Riley turned her back on Lucas to open the door but just then he pressed his body on hers, his hands going down to her waist. "You have a nice one. Anyone ever tell you that?"

She pushed him from her, "You drag me into a closet then compliment my ass...?"

"Sexy, isn't it?" he said caging her in with his hand, his head leaning down so their eyes can meet. Her brunette hair was down in gorgeous waves, scented with her conditioner that nearly drove him crazy. His eyes glistered with desire when their eyes congregated, her lips only inches away from his.

"Please," her voice was soft and quiet. "The only thing sexy about this is the condom wrapper on the floor."

He laughed, "Maybe it's mine."

Riley had to admit the way he said _it; was hot._ His eyes practically melted her existence.

"I doubt it. The condom's a large," she upbraided. "You're nowhere near there."

"Let's find out," his hands went to his zipper, but Riley stopped him.

"No need."

"You sure? I think I need to justify myself to you."

"Justify yourself to other girls," she growled in frustration. "Now if you excuse me; there's a guy out there waiting for me."

Riley managed to open the door a bit, but his hands were too firm.

"Admit it. You're playing Tyler, I'm the one you want."

Riley scoffed.

"You looked at me. When you were dancing with Tyler. It's fine. I like you too."

She sighed in defeat, "How'd you know?"

"I just do."

He leaned in to kiss her but just then Riley used her knee to get him off her. She smiled as he grabbed himself in pain. "It's cute you think every girl wants you. Let this...," she grabbed the condom wrapper and placed it on his chest, "show you otherwise."

And just like that, Riley left him.

 _Feeling like a complete badass._

 **[][][][]**

 **A/N: One of my favorite chapters to write. Let me know what you think by dropping a review and following this story. I wanna take this time to wish you a good, merry Christmas. One you get to spend with your family and friends, pets or mannequins etc.**

 **P.S. I feel like I should title my chapters. Let me know if you agree.**


	5. Nice Legs

**A/N: Updates will come every Fridays. Guest's, if you're planning on reviewing give yourselves a username so I can acknowledge it on later chapters. Which reminds me, chapters have been named. I also want to take this time to thank you guys for making Chapt. 4 the most reviewed chapter. Lot's of love.**

 **ssuresca: It will get even better in the next chapters. Thank you for reviewing.**

 **Guest: I will stick with my regular updates. I wanna take my time with this story but I will add a "Previously On _Dangerous_ Woman:" so you guys can remember what is happening. In fact, there will be one down below just for you. Thank you for updating and always feel free to tell me more of this stuff because I don't know what y'all want. **

**neniaelyn: Thank you so much. Updates will strictly be every Fridays and I would too, send you a whole bunch of heart eyes. Thank you for the love and support, it is what inspires me to write more.**

 **volleyballer82: So glad. I wanted Riley to be a badass for this story. Thank you.**

 **Previously On _Dangerous_ Woman: Riley plots her revenge on Lucas by slowly making him want her. She figures since Lucas likes competition, he'll fight for her and he'll fight against his friend Tyler. Riley and Maya crashed Tyler's party and he didn't seem to mind since Riley sang to him and she looks good. Lucas has already taken a step further by trapping Riley in a closet and claiming she likes him. Just when he was about to kiss her, Riley kneed him and walked away. Which leads us to this chapter. Enjoy. **

_**Dangerous** _**Woman**

 **[][][][][]**

Riley awoke to the blaring sound of her alarm, feeling as if her brain had been replaced with cotton. She tossed and turned all night and she did not feel good. The bright light coming from the windows brightened her face as she grimaced, "What time is it?"

Maya lifted her head from her pillow and groaned despondently, "Huh?"

"When did we get home?" Riley muttered.

"What?"

Riley turned off her alarm and once she took in her surroundings, she realized she wasn't in Maya's room.

Before she could question Maya about this, the door in front of her opened and Tyler walked.

"So we didn't go home..." Riley clarified.

Tyler chuckled as he sat down on the corner of the bed, "No. We were taking you to your car when..." he stopped as a slight curve appeared on his lips.

"You're laughing?" the brunette questioned as she could hear him try to conceal it.

"You could hardly walk...so I let you stay in my room while I slept in the guest room."

The memories of last night were starting to come back to her. "Where's your bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the left..."

"If you don't mind, I'm gonna shower."

"Not at all..."

 **[][][][][]**

When Riley walked into the upstairs bathroom, she nearly spazzed. The bathroom seemed like it was intended for an A-list celebrity. The bath was comprehensive and enticingly designed. Complete with both a shower and an alcove Duravit bathtub. The tantalizing aroma of scented candles left the air smelling as if rose petals has been grouped in every inch of the bathroom tile. A miscellany of shampoos and conditioners grabbed her attention, and in awe, Riley sauntered towards them.

She stripped down to her Calvin Klein bra and panties and grabbed her hair up. Even alone and undressed, Riley felt like Selena Gomez in her Hands To Myself music video. The only difference was that she hadn't broken in, and she wasn't obsessed with the owner of the home.

Once she had finished her serious fangirling session for the immaculately luxurious bathroom, she hopped in the shower smiling nonetheless. When she finished, Riley wrapped herself nice white towel. The fabric felt nice against her chest and body as she sauntered towards the mirror.

Before she could take her first step, the door swung open and Lucas walked in.

A normal guys reaction to a situation like this would be to instantly step out and apologize later on, but Lucas stood there nonchalantly while gawking Riley's body.

"Oh my God," she shouted. "Get out!"

Lucas blinked, completely awed by her complexion, leaving him with a smirk. "If you were naked I'd understand why you'd want me to leave, but since you aren't-"

Riley placed her hands on her chest even though the towel had already covered her, "Fuck you! Get out!"

"I just came for the toothpaste," he said smugly.

Riley found the toothpaste and threw it at him. "Now get out."

He winked, "Nice legs."

When Lucas closed the door Riley could practically feel her blood boiling. And boy was he going to pay.

 **[][][][][]**

After drying her hair, Riley walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where everyone was. Maya and Tyler were engaged in a deep talk about their favorite TV show How To Get Away with Murder while Lucas stood outside with his phone to his ear, not entirely happy.

The brunette didn't pay much attention to it as she sat next to Maya.

"You really live in a house like this?" she asked Tyler.

Tyler smiled as he observed his own kitchen, "Yes. I do."

"And your parents have enough faith in you to let you stay home alone?"

He nodded, "I'm a good kid."

"I hope so." She smiled.

Their eyes met and Maya could practically feel the chemistry.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked once Riley reached for the plate of muffins.

"Depends. How much did the bed cost?"

"That matters?" he rose a brow.

Riley nodded.

Tyler rested both his lean forearms on the counter, "Five grand."

She nearly choked while swallowing a bite of her muffin. "You rich people sure as hell have-"

"-because you're a bitch who sucks dick for a living!" She heard Lucas bark into his phone.

Riley turned back to see him walk inside, seeming too amused. "And that, ladies and gents, is how you break up with an ex."

"What'd she do? Reject your dick appointment?" Riley responded in a sarcastic temper, laced with utter annoyance.

Lucas opened the expensive Samsung refrigerator and contemplated on orange juice or apple juice, "Would that be a bad thing?"

She rolled her eyes.

"That'd be the third one this month," Tyler informed.

"Yep," Lucas affirmed, taking pride in himself.

"It's the third-" Riley gasped dramatically.

"Who was the first?" Maya probed

Lucas hummed in response trying to remember the girl's name.

"You can't be serious..." Riley said impatiently, realizing it could be Maya.

"It was Maya, Lucas. Her name was Maya," Tyler answered. Riley noticed his change of tone.

"Yeah. You're right," Lucas patted his friends back. "Maya was her name."

"Yeah, that's nice. Um..." she and Maya stood up.

"We're gonna go."

"So soon?" Lucas smirked as if he enjoyed their company.

"We stayed here the whole night," Riley said. "And unlike you guys, we have parents who don't let us do whatever we want."

Maya led the way as Riley followed. It didn't take long before Tyler ran after them.

"Hey," he got a hold of Riley's hand. "That's it? You're just gonna leave?"

Riley almost physically bit herself. She couldn't believe she managed to get his attention, a guy like him would never fall for the real Riley. "I'm sorry?"

He sheepishly smiled at her, "I was expecting something from you."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Well...?"

"No. I wanna hear you say it."

"C'mon Riley..." he looked at her but Riley remained confused. "A kiss."

From the corner of her eye, Riley noticed Lucas. She kept her gaze on Tyler, mentally smiling. "If you throw another party like this...we'll see."

She winked while she walked away, swinging her hips more than usual; knowing all to well his gaze went down to her ass.

 **[][][][][]**

 **A/N: Thank you guys for reading. This chapter is up earlier because I'm sick and have been told, by my doctor, to rest for the remaining of the next two weeks. Hence, why there won't be an update next week. Take advantage of your break (if you guys have one) and sleep in, spend time with your fam and enjoy yourselves. I will update on the 1/13/17. Which reminds me, celebrate the New Years as if the rest of 1/1/17 doesn't exist. Thank you so much for reading. If you're a Guest who plans on reviewing; you know what to do. Don't forget to follow and favorite. Drop a review to let me know what you think and have a good one.**


	6. Riley Matthews

**A/N:I AM BACK! Updates will STILL come every Fridays. Don't think for a second that I haven't been writing in these two weeks because I have. You have no idea, I managed to write more than six chapters. Now, that might not seem like much to you, but these happen to be my favorite chapters in the story so far. If you're a Guest who plans on dropping a review please give yourselves a username so I can acknowledge it in the next chapter. And I am so excited to announce that this is THE FIRST CHAPTER for 2017. And it's also Friday the 13th, scary movie marathon is all I can think of.**

 **Previously on _Dangerous_ Woman:**

 _["Ready to make a bad boy pay?"_

 _They hugged for seconds before Maya broke down once again. "Thank you."_

 _"For?"_

 _"Staying," she answered. "You're the best friend anyone can possibly ask for and I don't deserve you."_

 _Riley shook her head, "You of all people do."_

[][][][][][]

 _The two shopped and bought a whole bunch of clothes. Maya got a haircut because she wanted to look different and Riley didn't see anything wrong with that. She'd never been dumped because she'd never been in a relationship; and from the looks of it, she'd want to change too._

[][][][][][]

 _"How do I make him notice me?"_

 _The blonde smirked._

 _"What?"_

 _"I know how."_

 _"How?"_

 _"You sing."_

[][][][][][]

 _A glass runway was placed directly over the large pool granting people access to_ walking _on it and swim under it. The runway connected to the stage as Riley warily made her way towards it. A man in a thick jacket and gray hoodie looked at her and smirked, "Song proposal?"_

 _"Something like that," she nodded. "There's this guy I like, and I want him to notice me...I was hoping I could sing...?"_

 _"That's some lucky dude. What song will it be, sugar?"_

 _Riley turned back to Maya and nodded. She smiled back giving her the thumbs up._

 _Here's goes nothing._

[][][][][][]

 _Riley strictly made her way towards the aplenty group who surprisingly wasn't far from where she was. Tyler stood there with his friends, beside him was Lucas sending a smirk in her direction. Their eyes had met for a brief second before she turned to look at Tyler, pressing her body on him. Her back was now facing his chest as she made the 'moaning' notes, she smiled when she felt his hands gently fall on her hips._

[][][][][][]

 _"You gonna tell me your name or leave me gaping?"_

 _"Would it matter?" she asked._

 _"It'd help."_

 _"In that case...Riley."_

 _Tyler gently grasped her hand, placing a light kiss on her knuckles, glancing up at her with his brown eyes. "Tyler."_

 _And now we have their attention._

[][][][][][] _  
_

 _Riley's back faced Tyler's chest for the tenth time that night as they mindlessly danced to the music._

 _Lucas contemplated over their every move, not understanding why he was slightly angry to see her with him. A blonde with a familiar voice roused him from his intellectual thoughts and he turned to her so their eyes could meet._

 _"You jealous?"_

 _He furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment, "Have we met before?"_

 _"Do you watch porn?" she questioned._

 _"As a matter of fact, I do."_

 _"I'm Chloe," Maya lied. "And I'm not a porn star."_

[][][][][][]

 _"Sexy, isn't it?" he said caging her in with his hand, his head leaning down so their eyes can meet. Her brunette hair was down in gorgeous waves, scented with her conditioner that nearly drove him crazy. His eyes_ glistered _with desire when their eyes congregated, her lips only inches away from his._

 _"Please," her voice was soft and quiet. "The only thing sexy about this is the condom wrapper on the floor."_

 _He laughed, "Maybe it's mine."_

 _Riley had to admit the way he said it; was hot. His eyes practically melted her existence._

 _"I doubt it. The condom's_ a large," _she upbraided. "You're nowhere near there."_

 _"Let's find out," his hands went to his zipper, but Riley stopped him._

[][][][][][]

 _He leaned in to kiss her but just then Riley used her knee to get him off her. She smiled as he grabbed himself in pain. "It's cute you think every girl wants you. Let this...," she grabbed the condom wrapper and placed it on his chest, "show you otherwise."_

 _And just like that, Riley left him._

 _Feeling like a complete badass._

[][][][][][]

 _Riley turned back to see him walk inside, seeming too amused. "And that, ladies and gents, is how you break up with an ex."_

 _"What'd she do? Reject your dick appointment?" Riley responded in a sarcastic temper, laced with utter annoyance._

 _Lucas opened the expensive Samsung refrigerator and contemplated on orange juice or apple juice, "Would that be a bad thing?"_

 _She rolled her eyes._

 _"That'd be the third one this month," Tyler informed._

 _"Yep," Lucas affirmed, taking pride in himself._

 _"It's the third-" Riley gasped dramatically._

 _"Who was the first?" Maya probed_

 _Lucas hummed in response trying to remember the girl's name._

 _"You can't be serious..." Riley said impatiently, realizing it could be Maya._

 _"It was Maya, Lucas. Her name was Maya," Tyler answered. Riley noticed his change of tone._

[][][][][][]

 _"C'mon Riley..." he looked at her but Riley remained confused. "A kiss."_

 _From the corner of her eye, Riley noticed Lucas. She kept her gaze on Tyler, mentally smiling. "If you throw another party like this...we'll see."_

 _She winked while she walked away, swinging her hips more than usual; knowing all to well his gaze went down to her ass.]_

[][][][][][]

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][][][][][][]**

The entire ride home Maya lingered quietly. Riley noticed this and decided to remain silent for the time being, but something in her had to know why Maya was acting this way.

Maya parked her car in the driveway and without delay, got up and slammed her door shut. Riley was barely unbuckling herself when she could practically feel Maya roll her eyes at her.

With her brows channeled, Riley got out the car and into their apartment.

"Ok, what is your problem?" she questioned.

"My problem?"

"Yes, your problem. Are you mad at me or something?"

She took off her heels and sauntered towards their room, Riley trailing behind.

"Well...?"

Maya ignored Riley and opened her dresser, contemplating over sweats or joggers for the day.

"Maya...?"

"You spent the whole entire night with Tyler!"

"That's what you're mad about?"

"That's what I'm mad about," she confirmed immediately.

"Care to explain...?"

She scoffed, "You not knowing says a lot."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you wasted a perfectly good night with Tyler instead of Lucas."

"That's what we wanted."

"That's what you wanted!" Maya clarified. "I required you to flirt with Lucas, to get under his belt and manipulate him into thinking you like him but apparently that's too much for you," she emphasized the last part.

"You specifically told me to make him jealous."

"And did you?"

"Yes. I did. He dragged me into a closet, told me he liked me and practically tried to have sex with me..."

"Congratulations, he's probably the first-"

"Stop being so bitchy. You're the one who needs this!"

Maya took three steps towards Riley. "Lucas is an asshole who lies to get what he wants. He always wins. Right now, all he wants from you is sex. If you give it to him, he'll drop you faster than your ex did you." Riley's eyes didn't meet hers, "If you don't want to do this anymore then fine. Quit and go home." Maya stepped back after realizing she had scared Riley and with a more sincere tone, she said: "You'd only be disappointing me and the other girls he's broken."

 **[][][][][][]**

Maya stepped out of her bathroom and into her room. She was surprised to see Riley standing there waiting for her, she crossed her hands and raised a brow.

"You were right," Riley conceded. "I need to pay more attention to Lucas but at the same time, make myself hard to get."

Maya ran a hand through her smooth hair and set her spare towel down on the stand next to her, "I was thinking and I came to a conclusion. You shouldn't do this for me."

Riley furrowed her brows.

"I want you to do this for the girls who didn't know were being played. Do this for the girls who cried for him, and especially for the girls who gave him a million reasons to stay."

Riley could tell Maya was hurting. And she couldn't blame her.

It angered her that someone like Maya would open her heart to someone and end up broken. This was Maya's chance at love but just like every other modern fairy tale out there, it didn't end well.

"We'll make him pay," Riley told Maya. "We'll do it together."

 **[][][][][][]**

"Favorite soda?" Maya questioned Riley as they prepped for their seducing scheme. Riley told Maya and made it clear that she wanted Lucas to pay for everything he had done. And to make that happen she would have to know everything about the Lucas Friar, this seemed to be the only way to do so.

"Dr Pepper," Riley answered. "His favorite soda is Dr Pepper."

"Favorite gum?"

"5 gum. Peppermint."

"Burger or pizza?"

"Pizza."

"Blonde or brunette?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Oral or anal?"

Riley furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Maya, "What?"

"Sorry. Got carried away. Umm...favorite sport?"

"Football."

Maya nodded. "When he kisses you, do you A, kiss back, B, twerk on him, C, leave him hanging, or D, ride him?"

"Maya. What are with these questions?"

"Wrong!" Maya informed.

"Okay. C, leave him hanging."

"Boobs or ass?"

Normally, after hearing the type of questions prior to this one, Riley wouldn't have answered. But since this question was in her study guide - falling under the "What does he look for in a girl" category - Riley had to answer.

"Ass."

"Good," Maya applauded. "You're doing good."

Riley rose from her spot after hearing her phone vibrate. She walked towards her phone and once she turned it on she arched a brow. "Hate me or not for saying this but, I think Lucas has a horrible taste in woman."

"Why?"

She handed Maya the phone and waited for her reaction, "He's downsized."

Riley nodded in agreement. "This girl is uuuuuuglllyyy."

Maya laughed and took the phone from her, "Oh my God, she looks like she's about to purge. How'd you get the picture?"

She hummed in response and slid the phone into her back pocket.

"Well...?"

"He may or may not have my number."

"Why would he have it?"

Riley sighed, "Because I gave it to Tyler. And Lucas saw it."

"You gave Tyler your number?" she asked rather hurt.

"This happened before we had our talk. My priority is Lucas - not Tyler."

As she walked out of her room, Maya questioned why Lucas would send Riley a picture of another girl.

She dismissed the thought and followed the brunette's lead.

[][][][][][]

Riley and Maya sat at the kitchen table eating something Maya had made. She'd never tried Hot Pockets before and she will never again.

"C'mon. How do you not like them?" Maya questioned her.

"Because they don't taste good. Where is your mom anyway, shouldn't she be here feeding you?"

"She's been working. I texted her this morning and she told me she should be home tomorrow morning."

Riley felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and when she opened it, the name that came to view confused her.

It wasn't Tyler nor Lucas. It was Sorrell - her ex.

"Hello?" she answered with a quiver.

"Riley. Hey."

"Hi."

"I was just calling to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't need anything?"

Riley placed a hand on her forehead, "You can't be doing this anymore..."

"I just needed to hear your voice. You haven't been texting me back and you seemed upset the last time we spoke."

"That was over a month ago."

"So you're well?"

"I'm great," Riley said, hoping he would realize she was doing so much better without him.

"It was great speaking with you. Maybe we can hang out sometime?"

"Yeah. Sometime. But that's gonna have to wait, I'm in New York."

"For?"

"I'm visiting a friend. Hey listen, I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Bye," he muttered.

She ended the call shortly after.

"Who was that?"

"Sorrell."

"Really? What did he want?"

"What does every guy want...?" Riley questioned. "But I'm sure his only concern was to see if I wasn't with someone he doesn't like."

"What if he's not over you?" Maya questioned, her eyes growing wide. Riley found it hard to not laugh at the sight of her friend.

"I wouldn't blame him. I mean, I am Riley Matthews."

"And don't you forget it," she said while snapping her fingers in a sassy manner.

 **[][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Important stuff was revealed in this chapter. Let me know what you think by dropping a review. I also want to take this time to talk about GMW. I am not happy. They canceled it! GMW is the most successful show on the market right now and Disney decides to cancel it? I'm really disappointed. Please if you have more information as to why it was canceled please let me know. And to lighten things up, I have officially finished planning the whole story from this chapter to the end of the story. Also, I don't wanna seem offensive or be that strict writer, but I need you guys to choose a song for me. The options are _Burst Your Windows_ by Jazmine Sullivan or _Leave Me Lonely_ by Ariana Grande. Don't decide on which song you want by what the songs are trying to say, choose the one that sounds better in general. I'll only post the next chapter if y'all vote. I'm sorry, but this is so important. Helps in the future chapters. **


	7. Bikinis Are a Must

**A/N: I haven't watched the finale yet. I will after I post this but I am a little nervous. Just a reminder, I wrote this chapter before I even knew about the cancellation so if it doesn't fit your mood or expectations I am truly sorry.** **Thank you guys for the reviews. Updates will continue to come every Fridays. Guests who plan on leaving a review please give yourselves a username so it can be acknowledged in the next chapter.**

 **ArabellaRoseD: Thank you so much for voting, I really needed a song choice. I am almost finished writing the story and that song was needed. Thank you.**

 **volleyballer82: I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the other. And I am truly disappointed in Disney Channel, but there are rumors saying that GMW is saved. I don't know much, but I hope it's true. And thank you so much for voting.**

 **JJ: For now, I'm gonna have to agree with you. There's is no story that has taken shape, but trust me there will be. I think it's safe to tell you all that I am writing the chapters were Riley and Lucas are RileyandLucas. If you get what I mean. ;) And thank you for the tips. I will consider them, but not just yet.**

 **RucasLover24: There's nothing more important for me when it comes to writing because when someone compliments my writing and tells me they love my story; it truly warms my heart and inspires me to write more than I should. I should be the one thanking you. I have been thinking about it and I wanted my story to last for a while. I think it won't last for long, but I have to finish writing the story before I make any changes to the updates. I hope you understand.**

 **Previously on _Dangerous_ Woman:**

[][][][][][][]

 _Somethin 'bout you; makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

 _somethin 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout you._

 _Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't_

 _somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout ..._

[][][][][][][]

 _"That's my boy," a friend of their's patted Tyler as they huddled in a group._

 _They were next to a line of decorated topiary trees while Lucas' tried to find the girl that sent needing smirks his way._

 _"Someone_ gettin blowed _tonight," one of them joked._

 _"Nah man," Tyler defended. "I don't even know her name."_

[][][][][][][]

 _"You gonna ask me to dance or are you gonna gush about me liking you?"_

 _He grunted and collected himself, "Would you like to dance?"_

 _She smiled and placed her hand in his, "Lead the way."_

[][][][][][][]

 _"Ah, guys this is Riley," he introduced. "That's Farkle," he pointed to a fairly built, nice_ featured _, guy with a million dollar smile. "Zay," a dark skinned, brown eyed lad, "Brandon, and..." Tyler's eyes went to Lucas who was making out with a dirty blonde. "That would be Lucas."_

 _In between the kiss Lucas' eyes shifted to Tyler then went to Riley. He departed his lips from the craving blonde and dismissed her as if she was nothing but an animal._

 _"Forgive him. He can't go a day without kissing something."_

 _"I can tell," she mumbled, only loud enough for Tyler to hear._

[][][][][][][]

 _She stripped down to her Calvin Klein bra and panties and grabbed her hair up. Even alone and undressed, Riley felt like Selena Gomez in her Hands To Myself music video. The only difference was that she hadn't broken in, and she wasn't obsessed with the owner of the home._

 _Once she had finished her serious fangirling session for the immaculately luxurious bathroom, she hopped in the shower smiling nonetheless. When she finished, Riley wrapped herself nice white towel. The fabric felt nice against her chest and body as she sauntered towards the mirror._

 _"Oh my God," she shouted. "Get out!"_

 _Lucas blinked, completely awed by her complexion, leaving him with a smirk. "If you were naked I'd understand why you'd want me to leave, but since you aren't-"_

 _Riley placed her hands on her chest even though the towel had already covered her, "Fuck you! Get out!"_

 _[][][][][][][]_

 _Riley almost physically bit herself. She couldn't believe she managed to get his attention, a guy like him would never fall for the real Riley. "I'm sorry?"_

 _He sheepishly smiled at her, "I was expecting something from you."_

 _"Really?"_

 _He nodded, "Well...?"_

 _"No. I wanna hear you say it."_

 _"C'mon Riley..." he looked at her but Riley remained confused. "A kiss."_

 _From the corner of her eye, Riley noticed Lucas. She kept her gaze on Tyler, mentally smiling. "If you throw another party like this...we'll see."_

 _She winked while she walked away, swinging her hips more than usual; knowing all to well his gaze went down to her ass._

[][][][][][][]

 _"You spent the whole entire night with Tyler!"_

 _"That's what you're mad about?"_

 _"That's what I'm mad about," she confirmed immediately._

 _"Care to explain...?"_

 _She scoffed, "You not knowing says a lot."_

 _Maya took three steps towards Riley. "Lucas is an asshole who lies to get what he wants. He always wins. Right now, all he wants from you is sex. If you give it to him, he'll drop you faster than your_ ex did _you." Riley's eyes didn't meet hers, "If you don't want to do this anymore then fine. Quit and go home." Maya stepped back after realizing she had scared Riley and with a more sincere tone, she said: "You'd only be disappointing me and the other girls he's broken."_

[][][][][][][]

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][]**

Riley beamed at Tyler's text.

Then frowned on Lucas'.

Then beamed again when Tyler texted her.

And frowned when Lucas texted her.

The exasperating cycle continued and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Smiling and frowning became her friends for more than fifteen minutes and she wasn't entirely happy with that.

When Tyler texted her, she felt happy and wanted.

When Lucas texted her...she'd roll her eyes continuously and scoff.

 **Tyler: You should come to a party tonight.**

She smiled and replied: _Will you be there?_

 **Tyler: Only if you are.**

"You wanna go to a party tonight?" Riley called out for Maya to hear. It wasn't long before she replied with a loud, but quick, "YES."

 _We'll be there. Same place?_

 **Tyler: No. Lucas' house.**

"Hey, Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"The party is at Lucas' house. Is that fine?"

Maya was in between straightening her hair when she heard Riley's words. At another time she would've rejected the offer but this time, she accepted. "Yep."

 _We'll be there. Text me the address._

 **[][][][][][][]**

Riley and Maya arrived at the party rocking different colored halter tops. Riley went for the light theme and natural route while Maya went the opposite path. If she'd done what Riley had done she'd risk getting noticed.

The Friar residence was stunning. Complete with an outdoor pool, patio, wraparound balcony and much more. The two ascended the steps outside the front door and entered without hesitation.

Maya and Riley were quick to spot Lucas especially since he was the eye of the party. Tyler was leaning against the railing and talking to a different girl, enjoying her company. Once his eyes landed on Riley his smile faded. He dismissed the girl and sauntered towards Riley - who already had her arms laced in with each other.

"Hey. You made it."

Maya patted his chest for good luck and walked away.

Riley wasn't offended by this but she found it cute that he thought she'd do something. "Who was she?"

"She's just a girl."

"And I'm what?"

"A sexy," he grabbed her hand, "beautiful and smart woman who looks beautiful as always."

He placed her hand on his shoulder, pulling her impossibly close to him. He whispered something in her ear that made her stomach flutter, but then her eyes went to Lucas. He didn't look satisfied.

From what Riley has known about Lucas' serenity, was that it can't easily be tampered with.

His demeanor slowly changed and contorted to anger. Riley winked as she whispered something back in Tyler's ear.

 _Let's play Friar..._

 **[][][][][][][]**

Riley would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the attention from Lucas. She'd also be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the way he looked when he was angry. It was a feeling she'd never felt before and boy did she love it.

She told Tyler she was going to the bathroom and briefly signaled Lucas to follow her. She'd never done anything like it. She didn't turn back to see if he got the message nor did she take her time walking up the stairs.

Lucas was already trailing behind - complete with a grin and drink in hand.

"You're a creep. You know that, right?" she said without even turning around to see him.

"A creep?" he smirked.

"Did you know your cologne get's here two minutes before you do?"

He was silent, contemplating her in libido. "You look better than last time."

Riley fought the urge to cover up, noticing the trail his eyes led. "I wish I could say the same, to you of course."

He took several steps closer to Riley until he was way too close to her. Adrenaline ran through her veins when Lucas' hands went to her lower back.

"Admit it. You're just using him, I'm the one you want."

She scoffed. "Please. If you were the one I wanted why would I use him?"

"Because you like playing hard to get. I can't blame you. A pretty girl like you is worth every ounce of my attention."

Riley's instincts told her to kiss him and she would've; if it wasn't for her promise. Her actions did otherwise and boy did she love playing with him.

Gripping the buttons of his shirt, she pulled him close. Enough to where their lips were inches away, but not close enough so he'd purposely lean in and kiss her.

"A girl like me doesn't want attention from you. I've seen you stare, I can't blame you." She smiled when he gulped. "But don't think you're the only guy making an effort to 'get at me.'"

Riley took note of the silence between them. And praised herself for momentarily leaving Lucas speechless.

She stepped back and smirked, his gaze was dark and complete with the slightest bit of dangerous.

"Nice speaking with you."

 **[][][][][][][]**

Once Riley rounded the corner, she rushed down the steps two at a time and silently sighed in relief. After briefly thanking herself for managing to quickly get away from him, she walked out his house and into the backyard. Not far from where she was, Tyler and Maya stood there talking.

When she was only a few paces away from them, Tyler turned to her and smiled. "Look. We'll let Riley decide."

"Decide what?"

"Taraji P. Henson or Viola Davis?"

"What?"

"Better actress," he informed.

Riley could only arch a brow at the question, "We're at a party and this is what you go for?"

He looked at Maya and smiled, "You gonna answer or ...?"

"Fine. Uh...Viola Davis."

"What?" Maya questioned, in disbelief. "Riley you don't even watch How to Get Away With Murder."

"No. But I do wanna see her movie."

They nodded in agreement. "Maybe we'll go together."

She smiled before she felt a pair of hands slightly pat the upper part of her butt.

"You're right. They should come with us to our summer home," Lucas smirked as if he knew all too well what they were talking about.

Riley clenched her jaw and suppressed the anger she felt inside when Lucas touched her. "Sorry?"

"Did he not tell you?" He didn't wait for her response, "Tyler and I with a few other friends are hosting a party in a summer home we own. How rude of him to not invite the two of you?"

"No. Actually. It's not rude, considering we hardly know them and we wouldn't want them weirded out."

"Are you weirded out?" he asked Riley.

"Not at all. When will you two leave?"

"Tomorrow. Early in the morning. What do you say? Are you up for it?"

Maya gave her a slight nod and Riley knew what to do. "Sure. Just text me the time and we'll meet up with you."

"Great."

"Good," she said almost immediately, merely to show she wasn't nervous. Even though she was.

"Oh. And don't forget, bikinis are a must!"

 _Oh boy._

 **[][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Guys. Let's just take this time to acknowledge Selena Gomez comeback speech at the AMA's. Best speech out there. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FINALE. I WANT TO KNOW! Guests, you know what to do.**


	8. There's a Zipper to Every Pair of Pants

**A/N:** **Here is another chapter for you guys and I hope you enjoy. Guests, if you plan on leaving a review (which I hope you do) please give yourselves a Username so it can be acknowledged in the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews, they truly make my day and inspire me to write more. If you have any ideas in the direction this story should take place, please PM me and/or leave them in the review section. If I am interested in them, I will pick them up and maybe alter them so it fits the story, (you will be credited.)**

 **Kashirama: Thank you for reading.**

 **volleyballer82: The AMA's was good, what made it better was the speech Selena Gomez gave. She is a good person who has been through so much. And I hope you like this chapter.**

 **ArabellaRoseD: Ya'll need to watch her speech because it was fire. LOL. I spoke to the rightful owner because I was already two days in on FF when I started writing DW. I was truly stunned when I heard there was already another story that basically covered what I'm covering right now. Trust me the story will differ from Marilove's story in a more substantial way. You just gotta stick with me. P.S I never mind a long review, just shows me you care.**

 **UnknownWriterPerson: Thank you so much, there is more to this story. Trust me.**

 **Naelacy: Tyler plays a large factor in this story in a subtle way, he's sort of the missing puzzle to a well-put picture, does that make sense? As for Riley and Lucas, they will soon become RileyandLucas.**

[][][][][][][][]

 **Previously on _Dangerous_ Woman:**

 _Their eyes met and Maya could practically feel the chemistry._

 _"How'd you sleep?" he asked once Riley reached for the plate of muffins._

 _"Depends. How much did the bed cost?"_

 _"That matters?" he rose a brow._

 _Riley nodded._

 _Tyler rested both his lean forearms on the counter, "Five grand."_

[][][][][][][][]

 _"You spent the whole entire night with Tyler!"_

 _"That's what you're mad about?"_

 _"That's what I'm mad about," she confirmed immediately._

 _"Care to explain...?"_

 _She scoffed, "You not knowing says a lot."_

 _"What's that supposed to mean?"_

 _"It means that you wasted a perfectly good night with Tyler instead of Lucas."_

 _"That's what we wanted."_

 _"That's what you wanted!" Maya clarified. "I required you to flirt with Lucas, to get under his belt and manipulate him into thinking you like him but apparently that's too much for you," she emphasized the last part._

[][][][][][][][]

 _"You were right," Riley conceded. "I need to pay more attention to Lucas but at the same time, make myself hard to get."_

 _Maya ran a hand through her smooth hair and set her spare towel down on the stand next to her, "I was thinking and I came to a conclusion. You shouldn't do this for me."_

 _Riley furrowed her brows._

 _"I want you to do this for the girls who didn't know were being played. Do this for the girls who cried for him, and especially for the girls who gave him a million reasons to stay."_

 _Riley could tell Maya was hurting. And she couldn't blame her._

 _It angered her that someone like Maya would open her heart to someone and end up broken. This was Maya's chance at love but just like every other modern fairy tale out there, it didn't end well._

 _"We'll make him pay," Riley told Maya. "We'll do it together."_

[][][][][][][][]

 _"Favorite soda?" Maya questioned Riley as they prepped for their seducing scheme. Riley told Maya and made it clear that she wanted Lucas to pay for everything he had done. And to make that happen she would have to know everything about the Lucas Friar, this seemed to be the only way to do so._

 _"_ Dr _Pepper," Riley answered. "His favorite soda is_ Dr _Pepper."_

 _"Favorite gum?"_

 _"5 gum. Peppermint."_

 _"Burger or pizza?"_

 _"Pizza."_

 _"Blonde or brunette?"_

 _"Doesn't matter."_

[][][][][][][][]

 _It wasn't Tyler nor Lucas. It was Sorrell - her ex._

 _"Hello?" she answered with a quiver._

 _"Riley. Hey."_

 _"Hi."_

 _"I was just calling to make sure you were okay."_

 _"I'm fine."_

 _"Are you sure? You don't need anything?"_

 _Riley placed a hand on her forehead, "You can't be doing this anymore..."_

[][][][][][][][]

 _"It was great speaking with you. Maybe we can hang out sometime?"_

 _"Yeah. Sometime. But that's gonna have to wait, I'm in New York."_

 _"For?"_

 _"I'm visiting a friend. Hey listen, I have to go. I'm sorry."_

 _"Bye," he muttered._

 _She ended the call shortly after._

 _"Who was that?"_

 _"Sorrell."_

 _"Really? What did he want?"_

 _"What does every guy want...?" Riley questioned. "But I'm sure his only concern_ _was to see if I wasn't with someone he doesn't like."_

[][][][][][][][]

 _"You're a creep. You know that, right?" she said without even turning around to face him._

 _"A creep?" he smirked._

 _"Did you know your cologne get's here two minutes before you do?"_

 _He was silent, contemplating her in libido. "You look better than last time."_

 _Riley fought the urge to cover up, noticing the trail his eyes_ l _ed. "I wish I could say the same, to you of course."_

[][][][][][][][]

 _"Did he not tell you?" He didn't wait for her response, "Tyler and I with a few other friends are hosting a party in a summer home we own. How rude of him to not invite the two of you?"_

 _"No. Actually. It's not rude, considering we hardly know them and we wouldn't want them weirded out."_

 _"Are you weirded out?" he asked Riley._

 _"Not at all. When will you two leave?"_

 _"Tomorrow. Early in the morning. What do you say? Are you up for it?"_

 _Maya gave her a slight nod and Riley knew what to do. "Sure. Just text me the time and we'll meet up with you."_

 _"Great."_

 _"Good," she said almost immediately, merely to show sh_ e _wasn't nervous. Even though she was._

 _"Oh. And don't forget, bikinis are a must!"_

 _Oh boy._

[][][][][][][][]

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][]**

"You're not dipping on us, are you?" Lucas asked as he sat in his truck waiting for Riley and Chloe (Maya). It was two in the morning and they were heading for a two-hour ride.

"You know for a decent, secure, ambitious, naïve-"

"Get to the point," he chuckled.

"-you sure are insecure."

"That's because you leave me hanging all the time."

"Take a hint, Friar."

He looked out the window and saw them approach his truck. "You brought a suitcase?"

"You brought your truck?"

"It was either that or my expensive Camaro."

She rolled her eyes, "You're full of it."

Three exasperating minutes later and Riley ended up driving with Lucas. Maya drove with Tyler and Riley silently envied her for that. She didn't feel uncomfortable with him but she preferred Tyler.

"You should drive a little faster. By this rate, we won't be there by tomorrow morning."

"What if I just wanna spend more time with you?"

Riley scoffed as she turned on the radio. She skipped through various stations before she found her favorite one.

 _Cuando estás bien te alejas de mí_

 _Te sientes sola y siempre estoy ahí_

 _Es una guerra de toma y dame_

 _Pues dame de eso que tiene' ahí_

 _Oye baby, no sea' mala_

 _No me deje' con las ganas_

 _Se escucha en la calle_

 _Que ya no me quieres_

 _Ven y dímelo en la cara_

"You like this?"

Riley nodded. "You have to know the language to understand why."

"And you know it?"

"Sort of. I'm not fluent in Spanish but I know just enough to tell you that this song is about a guy and a girl who are egotistical and manipulative."

"Which one are you?" Lucas asked as a devious smile crept from his lips.

"Well, I'm certainly not egotistical."

"Really? So you're manipulative?"

"No," she clarified. "Just saying an equal amount of both wouldn't hurt anyone."

 _Tú eres puro, puro chantaje_

 _Puro, puro chantaje_

 _Siempre es a tu manera_

 _Yo te quiero aunque no quieras_

A wave of silence passed them by before Lucas turned to Riley and said, "Spanish is sexy."

"What?" she arched a brow and slightly smiled.

"I'm serious. It's sultry and just sounds better."

"Not when your being cursed at..."

 _Pregúntale a quien tú quieras_

 _Vida, te juro que eso no es así_

 _Yo nunca tuve una mala intención_

 _Yo nunca quise burlarme de ti_

 _Conmigo ves, nunca se sabe_

 _Un día digo que no, y otro que sí_

"You know..." he began. "I find it weird that you aren't attracted to me."

"Really?"

"Yep. Why's that?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I don't like boys."

He turned to Riley and before he could jump to any conclusion, she backed it up with, "I date men."

"And Tyler fulfills that interest?"

"Would there be a problem if he did?"

He smiled and stared straight ahead, "Not at all."

 **[][][][][][][][]**

By the time they arrived at the summer home it was earlier than expected. The sun was still down and it was fresh outside, in front of them was a brown Victorian summer home and just down the hill was a nice wide lake.

"Farkle and Zay should be here soon. They're the ones in charge of the music and the beer."

"And what did you do?"

Lucas looked back at Riley, "Well, I'm the reason we're having this party. And, well, that's about it."

"Shocker," she breathed.

"C'mon. I wanna show you around."

Riley followed him even though she knew she was setting herself up for calamity. After receiving a compliment or two from Lucas when he opened the door and let her in first, her mouth fell open at the sight of the grand foyer. A nicely structured chandelier lighted the hallway before them and to the left of her was a spiraling staircase.

As they walked down the hallway, they passed the kitchen that was embellished in white granite countertops with light gray contemporary cabinets. From the looks of it, Riley could tell that the kitchen was filled with food that she would soon devour.

Lucas led Riley through the lounge, theater room, living room (which had a fireplace that intrigued Riley), and the game room, giving little information on each one. They soon ended in the basement which had a mini bar and another cozy lounge. The lounge was lavished with a soft white carpet and a sectional couch, Riley's gaze fixated on the mini fireplace and smiled at the thought.

"That's the second time I've seen you like this. What is it?"

Riley turned around to face Lucas merely because he surprised her. She realized how close he was to her and she took a step back.

"You know, I find it funny how a pretty girl like you manages to capture someone's heart without even realizing it."

"Really? How so?"

"Well," he stepped closer to her. "You don't even see it but, something tells me you don't really know how beautiful you are."

"You don't really seem like your the type of girl you are."

"Care to explain?" Riley asked as she felt his warmth.

"A girl in the category you're in acts like she's wanted and thinks everything's about her. You don't act like that at all."

"What if I do?"

He arched a brow.

"What if I am all those things you say and I'm just acting like it because those type of girls seems to turn you on?"

He shook his head no and placed his hands on her hips, "That's not you."

She pushed him back and took a step forward and with a laugh she said: "You don't know me."

"I don't need to. It's obvious."

"Then get this: men wear the pants in the relationship. They claim to know everyone and it's fuck boi's like you who think they can sleep with any girl. But don't forget there's a zipper to every pair or pants, and that's what woman control. So keep it in your pants before we bite it off."

He stepped back with a brow raised and slight chuckle, "Should we get on with the tour?"

Riley knew she was supposed to make him fall for her at some point, but she couldn't help dropping a Riley-bomb on him.

The tour ended when Lucas led Riley outside to the patio. The patio was nicely decorated in plants, flowers, wood and comfortable ottomans. Riley was impressed but she did little to prove just that, "Why was everything so nice? I thought this is a summer home? Shouldn't it be-I don't know-messy and dusty?"

"I had my people clean it up a bit."

"Your people? That's what you call them?"

"That's what I've called them ever since I was a kid."

"C'mon. Tyler just texted me, they're outside."

 **[][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading and let me know what you think about this story by dropping a review.**


	9. Not Bad Friar

**A/N Thank you so much for the reviews. Don't forget to check out my dearest friend's story titled _Broken Bough_ by KillEmWithKindness02. I like how I already know what's gonna happen in a story besides mine. Guest's you know what to do. **

**naelacy: Their weekend will entail some interesting things, such as the one you'll get towards the ending of the chapter. And secrets will be revealed on a character that will make them more understanding. ;)**

 **volleyballer82: Selena is an amazing person. Hope you watched the speech, but there has been some evidence that leads up to your assumption. Feel free to drop a piece of that in your review.**

 **WOWP: Ayyyyyeeeeeeeeee. Finally. Someone gets it. El nuevo sencillo de Shakira y Maluma esta muy bueno. Hopefully, you understand Spanish or else I'll look like the idiot. LOL.**

 **JJ: Your opinions won't change the fact that these few chapters will remain short. I'm sorry but these chapters have been far from written. Since December. I am truly sorry to disappoint you, but I write at the length and speed I can handle.**

 **RucasLover24: Thank you for loving my story. But I can 100%, with all my heart, guarantee you that this story has surpassed my expectation by 21 chapters. That is absolutely crazy. And to answer your question, I have chapters from 21 - 31 planned, not written. So the numbers can change. I am currently writing the 21 st chapter and all I'll give away is RileyandLucas=bf & gf. I can't wait for you to read it. And to answer your last review I live in America. **

**Previously On _Dangerous_ Woman:**

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

 _The entire ride home Maya lingered quietly. Riley noticed this and decided to remain silent for the time being, but something in her had to know why Maya was acting this way._

 _Maya parked her car in the driveway and without delay, got up and slammed her door shut. Riley was barely unbuckling herself when she could practically feel Maya roll her eyes at her._

 _With her brows channeled, Riley got out the car and into their apartment._

 _"Ok, what is your problem?" she questioned._

 _"My problem?"_

 _"Yes, your problem. Are you mad at me or something?"_

 _She took off her heels and sauntered towards their room, Riley trailing behind._

 _"Well...?"_

 _Maya ignored Riley and opened her dresser, contemplating over sweats or joggers for the day._

 _"Maya...?"_

[][][][][][][][][]

It wasn't Tyler nor Lucas. It was Sorrell - her ex.

"Hello?" she answered with a quiver.

"Riley. Hey."

"Hi."

"I was just calling to make sure you were okay."

 _"I'm fine."_

 _"Are you sure? You don't need anything?"_

 _Riley placed a hand on her forehead, "You can't be doing this anymore..."_

 _"I just needed to hear your voice. You haven't been texting me back and you seemed upset the last time we spoke."_

 _"That was over a month ago."_

 _"So you're well?"_

 _"I'm great," Riley said, hoping he would realize she was doing so much better without him._

[][][][][][][][][]

 _ **Tyler: You should come to a party tonight.**_

 _She smiled and replied: Will you be there?_

 _ **Tyler: Only if you are.**_

 _"You wanna go to a party tonight?" Riley called out for Maya to hear. It wasn't long before she replied with a loud, but quick, "YES."_

 _We'll be there. Same place?_

 _ **Tyler: No. Lucas' house.**_

[][][][][][][][][]

 _"Did he not tell you?" He didn't wait for her response, "Tyler and I with a few other friends are hosting a party in a summer home we own. How rude of him to not invite the two of you?"_

 _"No. Actually. It's not rude, considering we hardly know them and we wouldn't want them weirded out."_

 _"Are you weirded out?" he asked Riley._

 _"Not at all. When will you two leave?"_

 _"Tomorrow. Early in the morning. What do you say? Are you up for it?"_

 _Maya gave her a slight nod and Riley knew what to do. "Sure. Just text me the time and we'll meet up with you."_

 _"Great."_

 _"Good," she said almost immediately, merely to show she wasn't nervous. Even though she was._

 _"Oh. And don't forget, bikinis are a must!"_

 _Oh boy._

[][][][][][][][][]

 _Riley followed him even though she knew she was setting herself up for calamity. After receiving a compliment or two from Lucas when he opened the door and let her in first, her mouth fell open at the sight of the grand foyer. A nicely structured chandelier lighted the hallway before them and to the left of her was a spiraling staircase._

 _As they walked down the hallway, they passed the kitchen that was embellished in white granite countertops with light gray contemporary cabinets. From the looks of it, Riley could tell that the kitchen was filled with food that she would soon devour._

 _Lucas led Riley through the lounge, theater room, living room (which had a fireplace that intrigued Riley), and the game room, giving little information on each one. They soon ended in the basement which had a mini bar and another cozy lounge. The lounge was lavished with a soft white carpet and a sectional couch, Riley's gaze fixated on the mini fireplace and smiled at the thought._

 _"That's the second time I've seen you like this. What is it?"_

 _Riley turned around to face Lucas merely because he surprised her. She realized how close he was to her and she took a step back._

 _"You know, I find it funny how a pretty girl like you manages to capture someone's heart without even realizing it."_

 _"Really? How so?"_

 _"Well," he stepped closer to her. "You don't even see it but, something tells me you don't really know how beautiful you are."_

[][][][][][][][][]

 _"Then get this: men wear the pants in the relationship. They claim to know everyone and it's fuck_ boi's _like you who think they can sleep with any girl. But don't forget there's a zipper to every pair or pants, and that's what woman control. So keep it in your pants before we bite it off."_

 _He stepped back with a brow raised and slight chuckle, "Should we get on with the tour?"_

 _Riley knew she was supposed to make him fall for her at some point, but she couldn't help dropping a Riley-bomb on him._

[][][][][][][][][]

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

The next morning Riley had woken up earlier than expected. She slept in the same room as Maya in surprisingly comfortable beds and a flat screen TV. She grabbed her swimsuit and a light blue denim pair of shorts with a white top to go over it. After brushing her teeth and applying little to no makeup, Riley sauntered down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Riley decided to surprise everyone by cooking breakfast. She took out the bacon, eggs, orange juice and the bread. After setting everything on the countertop, Riley headed for the stove and turned it on.

She turned back to look at the food and almost died. Lucas sat there on the stool with his I'm no good smirk. "Oh, God. Lucas!"

Even though he got a good view when her back was facing him, Lucas was at loss for words. He arched a brow at the feeling and quickly dismissed it. "You're up early."

"So are you," she said immediately.

He looked at the food in front of her and smiled, "I love me a lady who can cook."

She ignored him and looked around the kitchen looking for a pan and griddle.

"It's hidden in the cabinet right by the refrigerator," he answered confidently.

Riley rolled her eyes and he smiled. "Why are you up?"

He took the pan from her hands and placed it on the stove, "I was going to make something, but...you beat me to it."

"Really?" Riley found it hard to believe. "Mr. 'I've been rich all my life' wanted to make breakfast?"

"What? It's true. I make some mean muffins."

"Can you make eggs?"

"That would depend on the kind of eggs."

"I don't know. What kind of eggs can you make?"

"Scrambled."

"Great. Here you go." She handed him the carton of eggs and she grabbed the packet of bacon. "Get started."

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

Farkle, Zay, Tyler and Lucas waited outside by the dock as Riley and Maya waited inside the summer home. They were stressing over something they hadn't thought of before.

"What if they realize it's me? If I get into the lake and my makeup comes off - our plan is over."

"Okay, how 'bout you don't get wet?"

"That's the reason we're here early. The party is tomorrow. Knowing Zay he'll throw me into the water."

Riley sighed, "We'll tell them you can't swim."

"Lucas had life jackets when he walked out. We can't use that excuse."

"Then don't get in the water completely. We'll think of something. I promise."

She took a deep breath, "We will."

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

Riley's mouth fell open at the yacht in front of her. Lucas stood on top of it and spread his arms as if he had it all. Adding a slight curve to his lips, his broad shoulders flexed along with his washboard abs. Riley would be lying if she said she didn't find Lucas attractive at the moment.

"I'm gonna drive this baby around the lake, you guys in?"

She walked towards the dock and stepped onto the boat, "You brought a yacht? Other's would've brought a boat."

"Well," he was in front of her at this time, "I do like to impress."

Maya got on the boat and Zay followed, "C'mon. Start driving."

Tyler walked out from inside the boat and smiled, "You girls look good."

"Thank you," Riley responded. She removed her clothes and modeled a black, one piece bikini with her back fully exposed. She smirked at Lucas and approached Tyler.

 _And the games have begun..._

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

Posing for a picture, Riley arched her hip and fluffed out her hair. To her right was Tyler and to her left was Farkle, she aimed a kiss at the camera and just then Farkle took the picture.

"All right, I like this one."

Riley smiled, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Tyler approach Maya. She couldn't understand how they have gotten close all of the sudden.

"Anyone wanna drive with me to the cove?" Lucas said, his eyes merely on Riley.

"Nah," Zay responded.

"I'm busy," Farkle said into his phone.

He stared at Riley and she could only nod in response, "I'm not going because you asked, I'm going because you're going alone."

Lucas jumped into one of the jets skis Farkle previously drove and Riley stared at him from the yacht.

"What? You comin' or not?"

"In that ?"

"I'm sorry Princess, my water driving automobile was charging so this was all I could bring," he said, his voice laced with utter sarcasm. "You thought we were swimming there? It's at least a four to five-minute drive on this thing."

Riley looked back and saw Maya, she seemed happy with Tyler. Letting that define her answer, Riley responded with a firm, yet understanding, "Fine."

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

Lucas stopped the jet ski when they reached the cove. Riley took in her surroundings and gasped. He gave her a hand and helped her off the jet ski, once she was off he purposely left his hands on her hips.

"There's something I wanted to show you."

"You wanted to show me something?"

"Yeah. And I think you might like it."

He held onto her hand and led her passed various rocks that were higher than she'd seen. Sand ran through their feet as they entered a hidden cave. "This is what you wanted to show me?"

He smiled, "Yeah."

Riley was impressed, even though she didn't show it. "It's beautiful."

"Is this the place you bring girls to fuck em?"

His lips thinned as his gaze returned to her, "That's what you think? That sex is on my mind 24/7?"

"Wouldn't be surprised if it was."

"It could be," he conceded. "But this place means more than that."

"Really? Lucas Friar is attached to things as simple as a cave?"

"Would that be a problem?"

"No. It's just weird."

"It's not, actually."

"Then tell me why it's not weird."

He laughed, "You'd have to be my girlfriend first."

"Bummer."

"Bummer as in: damn I'm gonna have to wait another hour or bummer as in: damn that'll never happen?"

She laughed, "Bummer as in: you're a horny adolescent who's desperate to get laid."

He closed the space between them, "Wouldn't say desperate...I just get laid whenever I want to."

Riley knew she'd have to get used to his talks if she wanted to seduce him, even if they drove her crazy from time to time. He was good looking, she'll admit that, but his attitude pisses her off.

Lost in his gaze, Lucas caged her in with his right hand, their lips only an inch away. "Do I make you nervous, Riley?"

"In your dreams," she managed to say through a beating heart. He caged her in with his left hand and Riley was at loss for words.

Their lips met instantaneously and Riley felt herself kissing back. Lucas was amused with this as he fought with her for dominance, sending them into a voracious kiss. When Lucas pulled her closer, Riley felt the bulge in his swim shorts and in returned she settled her hand on his neck.

His hands went down to her hips, then slowly running to her ass. Pressing himself against her, Lucas groaned at the friction created by his move. Riley suppressed her moan and tilted her head to get deeper into the kiss. Grasping her, Lucas picked her up and settled her down as he climbed on top of her. The kiss could've lasted, but feeling his bulge growing, Riley stopped him. "Wait."

He rested his forehead against hers, slowly breathing, "What is it?"

"We can't do this."

"Sex?"

"What else?" she pushed him off of her. As she stood up, she could feel her knees go weak but she remained up. "C'mon, we don't wanna leave the rest out on that boat."

"Yacht," Lucas informed.

"Whatever. C'mon," Swinging her hips, with a smirk on her lips, Riley walked straight to the jet ski.

 _Not bad, Friar, not bad._

 **[][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Did you guys expect that? I sure as hell didn't. If you did let me know. And what do you think the cave meant to Lucas? Will Riley ever find out? Leave a review letting me know what you think, bye.**


	10. A Sense of Broken

**A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews, it always means a lot to me. A story sort of starts to take shape within these chapters, if you squint and tilt your head and really think about it, there's a story you can sort of feed off of.**

 **naelacy: The significance of the cave will be revealed in a few weeks. I promise.**

 **volleyballer82: Remember when I said Tyler will play an important factor in the series? Yeah, well, pay attention to that. You'll definitely find something.**

 **Siennese: Thank you for reading. There will be a story you can latch onto soon.**

 **amymayy2003: Thank you for the compliments.**

 **RucasLover24: I will always answer questions given to me. Thank you so much for reading and I'm glad you reviewed before I could publish the chapter.**

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"You have to know the language to understand why."_

 _"And you know it?"_

 _"Sort of. I'm not fluent in Spanish but I know just enough to tell you that this song is about a guy and a girl who are egotistical and manipulative."_

 _"Which one are you?" Lucas asked as a devious smile crept from his lips._

 _"Well, I'm certainly not egotistical."_

 _"Really? So you're manipulative?"_

 _"No," she clarified. "Just saying an equal amount of both wouldn't hurt anyone."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 _You don't even see it but, something tells me you don't really know how beautiful you are."_

 _"You don't really seem like your the type of girl you are."_

 _"Care to explain?" Riley asked as she felt his warmth._

 _"A girl in the category you're in acts like she's wanted and thinks everything's about her. You don't act like that at all."_

 _"What if I do?"_

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"Then get this: men wear the pants in the relationship. They claim to know everyone and it's fuck_ boi's _like you who think they can sleep with any girl. But don't forget there's a zipper to every pair or pants, and that's what woman control. So keep it in your pants before we bite it off."_

 _He stepped back with a brow raised and slight chuckle, "Should we get on with the tour?"_

Riley's mouth fell open at the yacht in front of her. Lucas stood on top of it and spread his arms as if he had it all. Adding a slight curve to his lips, his broad shoulders flexed along with his washboard abs. Riley would be lying if she said she didn't find Lucas attractive at the moment.

"I'm gonna drive this baby around the lake, you guys in?"

She walked towards the dock and stepped onto the boat, "You brought a yacht? Other's would've brought a boat."

"Well," he was in front of her at this time, "I do like to impress."

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Riley's mouth fell open at the yacht in front of her. Lucas stood on top of it and spread his arms as if he had it all. Adding a slight curve to his lips, his broad shoulders flexed along with his washboard abs. Riley would be lying if she said she didn't find Lucas attractive at the moment._

 _"I'm gonna drive this baby around the lake, you guys in?"_

 _She walked towards the dock and stepped onto the boat, "You brought a yacht? Other's would've brought a boat."_

 _"Well," he was in front of her at this time, "I do like to impress."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Their lips met instantaneously and Riley felt herself kissing back. Lucas was amused with this as he fought with her for dominance, sending them into a voracious kiss. When Lucas pulled her closer, Riley felt the bulge in his swim shorts and in returned she settled her hand on his neck._

 _His hands went down to her hips, then slowly running to her ass. Pressing himself against her, Lucas groaned at the friction created by his move. Riley suppressed her moan and tilted her head to get deeper into the kiss. Grasping her, Lucas picked her up and settled her down as he climbed on top of her. The kiss could've lasted, but feeling his bulge growing, Riley stopped him. "Wait."_

 _He rested his forehead against hers, slowly breathing, "What is it?"_

 _"We can't do this."_

 _"Sex?"_

 _"What else?" she pushed him off of her. As she stood up, she could feel her knees go weak but she remained up. "C'mon, we don't wanna leave the rest out on that boat."_

 _"Yacht," Lucas informed._

 _"Whatever. C'mon," Swinging her hips, with a smirk on her lips, Riley walked straight to the jet ski._

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley wasn't anticipating a big party like this. Merely because they were two hours away and underage teens would be attending the event. She thought it'd be calmer than expected, but since Lucas tweeted the party was on a portion of land he owned, more party-goers were intrigued. And to her luck, he just had to add in, _we can party all night w/ out any legal restraint._

Her hopes of having a great night were shattered when she passed a closed door only to hear moans. She retched at the noise and quickly went for the other direction. It wasn't much better downstairs, where she could visually see an equal representation of what was happening behind closed doors. She passed a girl who was dancing on a table like a stripper and went to the basement.

Bad idea.

As she made a left, walking through an undiscovered area, Riley walked in on Farkle pulling up his pants as a girl putting on her top chuckled. The girl was pretty, she had a pair of swooping eyelashes and thin body. Not entirely knowing on what she walked in on, Riley looked like a deer caught in head lights. The brunette was greeted by a surprising smell when the girl - Farkle was with - passed her.

She arched a brow.

"What?" he asked as if nothing happened.

"You?" Riley was shocked.

Even though she knew Farkle was hot, complete with dark brown eyes and a sharp jawline, Riley didn't expect him to be this type of guy.

"Is there a problem?"

"No," she shook her head. "Just surprised."

"Well, we are full of those. Right, Riley?" He walked passed her but stopped when she placed her hand in front of him.

"What would that mean?"

"Means, I know why you're here."

"Did I catch you at a bad day or something?"

"No, just at the wrong time."

She let him walk past her feeling a slight tug. Confused, Riley followed. "What does that mean?"

"Sorell. You know exactly who that is, don't you?"

Her lips thinned and for a second Riley thought about him. "How do you know him?"

He scoffed, "Be real with me. You really like Lucas or are you just messin' with him?"

"That's none of your business."

He nodded, "That's all I needed to know."

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley didn't know if Farkle had just threatened to tell Lucas what he knows or if she should be cognizant of the thought. She hadn't spoken to Lucas ever since they kissed but she also didn't know if that was enough to leave him wanting more. Had she known she'd only embarrass herself, Riley would've never kissed back.

Finding Lucas in a group with a bunch of friends, Riley approached him. "Mind if I borrow him for the whole day?" She asked even though she didn't wait for a response.

Lucas let her pull on him. He didn't know where they were going but he hoped it was somewhere private so they could finish what they started the day before. They passed numerous teens dancing with no concerns and kissing each other like they'll never see each other again. They entered a lightly dimmed room which contained a desk, couch, and several books.

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows when Riley closed the door, "I see where this is heading..."

"Really?" she questioned in a deep drawl, making it noticeable that she wasn't really interested.

Having little to no understanding as to why she brought him here, Riley contemplated on continuing their make out session. She knew telling him what Farkle had led her to believe wouldn't be a well-founded reason so instead she sat him down on the white leather couch.

"Why'd you bring me here?"

"Because. I figured we'd have some alone time."

"...because you know what happens when we're alone."

"Not exactly. But nice try."

Lucas stood up and gave her his hand, "C'mon. Take it." After noticing her reaction, Lucas let out a smile, "It doesn't bite."

"No. But it's owner does." Giving her his hand, Lucas led her to the balcony just outside the office.

"I was thirteen when my mom got this place and I remember the day she told me this..."

"Told you what?"

He looked at her for a few seconds before he turned to look at the moon, "That I had a twin."

Riley froze as she stared at him, his eyes holding something that she can't quite understand. "A twin?"

He nodded. "Shocking, isn't it?"

"Yes. Lucas Friar has a twin."

"Not...anymore," a heavy silence fell between them and Riley raised a brow. "He died when we were three."

Riley struggled to say something, she struggled to find the right words or the right gesture to make him feel better.

"It's funny you know? One day you feel fine and you feel like you have it all under control, but the next day...it's different." He turned to her and smiled, "It explained a lot, actually."

For the first time, there was a sense of broken inside Lucas. One that he carried but never displayed. "Can I ask how?"

He arched a brow.

"How did he...die?"

"Heart failure."

Even though the news given to her didn't help break him, Riley found it interesting. "Your mother is a strong woman. I'd like to meet her one day."

"Maybe you will. But then, you have to be my girlfriend."

Riley placed her hand on the railing, "She doesn't know, does she?"

"Know what?"

"She doesn't know what you're like when she's not around. That you fuck anything that can spread its legs?"

His expression was inscrutable yet calm at the same time. "Not everything. You give me more credit than I deserve."

"You know. Sometimes I ask myself why you do it."

He blinked a few times and turned to her, "Do what?"

"Have sex with a lot of girls."

"Maybe you'd know if you ever got any."

"You're disgusting," she stared at the lake in front of them. Then at the mass of teens below them, some chanted and stupidly encouraged a friend to drink out of a keg upside down. Their cheers receded when the man threw up all over the yard.

"Makes me wonder. Has Riley Matthews done the dirty?"

"That's rich coming from that mouth of yours."

He laughed. "Serious. Who was your first?"

Riley looked him straight in the eyes then turned to the railing. She hadn't told anyone, but the thought of sex made her feel uneasy. "I don't speak of him," Riley replied merely to keep him speculating.

"I understand," he said. "It was a one night stand."

"One way to put it," she said. "But you're wrong."

She walked back into the office and Lucas followed. "I didn't say this earlier, but you look nice."

His gaze went down to her outfit one more time. She wore her favorite denim shorts along with an off-the-shoulder top, only showing off her toned illustrious two-pack. Her wavy colored hair swung at her as she turned to face him.

"Who knew Lucas Friar could be so generous?" she took a step forward.

Feeling sexual tension rise between them, Lucas did the same thing. "Pretty girls deserve every ounce of my attention."

"But I don't need it," It reminded her of their previous talk.

"But you got it. You mustn't leave it."

"I'll try not to."

Riley felt butterflies flutter across her stomach when she noticed the slight fire in his gaze. He licked his lips and placed his hand on her hips, "It fascinates me," he began. "How you don't know how beautiful you can be without even trying."

She smiled and stared at him. Was it wrong if she felt like kissing him? Would that moment determine whether her plan would sink or swim? Questions tackled her like a football player and her eyes wandered like the ball in a soccer game.

What am I feeling?

Before she could pay any attention to her question, Lucas pulled her closer until their lips pressed against the other.

 **[][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Feel like sharing this interesting fact because as I was revising my notes I read the original title planned for this story and get ready for it, the title for this story was supposed to be called _Beautiful Liar_. But as time progressed I decided to go with Dangerous Woman, inspired by Ariana Grande. Let me know what you think about this chapter and what is up with Farkle? Do you enjoy the kissing between Riley and Lucas? This is only part one of this chapter, there will be more. Don't forget to review.**

 **And P.S: First person to guess why I was gonna go with Beautiful Liar, will get a shoutout in the next chapter. If you can guess, Dangerous Woman, you can guess Beautiful Liar.**


	11. That's Lucas's Dad

**A/N: I have amazing readers and reviewers who answer my questions and also give me suggestions, I am truly honored. _Violet1429_ was the first to answer not one but two of the thoughts I had in mind. Dangerous Woman wasn't going to be the name for the story at all, it was going to be _Beautiful Liar_. But that changed because I felt like DW tackled more of the subject I wanted in the story. Twenty plus chapters won't prioritize Riley trying to break Lucas, they will prioritize Riley and Lucas slowly falling into the love spectrum and obstacles trying to get in the way of that. But with falling into that specific dynamic Riley has to be careful, she has to lie, which leads to our own _Beautiful Liar_. So let's congratulate Violet and the other reviewers (hopefully you're reading) for knowing my intentions. This effort is not left unnoticed. I would also like to announce this ahead of time: in order to get a story through, Riley and Lucas won't always be this cuddly and romantic with each other. Riley is still very much into breaking his heart...and let's not forget one of our mains, Tyler, who still exists. =)**

 **Violet1429: You are truly an amazing reader. Thank you so much for answering and just reading in general, I truly appreciate it.**

 **hopewings6: Your money should slowly go to Riley.**

 **naelacy: You're jumping ahead into future chapters. But I'm proud you said that. Riley will not only be lying to Lucas in this story. Farkle is important in this mess because of what he knows. And his importance to this story will be revealed in later chapters. I guess, in a really subtle, almost impossible way, he's the reason Riley says something to Lucas. Keep that in mind. ;)**

 **volleyballer82: You're close, but thank you for reading.**

 **Siennese: Riley is affecting Lucas is a way he can't figure out, which drives his crazy for some parts. He slowly starts realizing why she has this effect on him. And Riley knows what she's doing, what she doesn't know is that she slowly starts feeling for him. You just have to bare with me. I guess, all I ask from my readers is patience. These next ten chapters will certainly be filled with the most drama.**

 **No: Sex will definitely be talked about in this story, especially with Riley and Lucas. And if it ever gets to that level of romance, the story won't change to an M-rating because I will NOT include smut. Just a heads up.**

 **RucasLover24: I also don't mind the Rucas kissing, in fact, I don't mind it that it will continue to happen throughout the story. ;) And you gotta find the time to give me a long review, =) But I appreciate the time you take to give me one. Thank you so much.**

 **Friartale: Ahhh yes. The great moment Rucas will soon share. Again, if you're** **reading this or any of my readers, as a writer I want to branch out, I don't just want to be independent. So what I normally do is talk to other people on this site, some I know personally other's we handle it throughout FF. I can't take all the credit for the work that is put into this, so again, thanks for the help.**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Riley's mouth fell open at the yacht in front of her. Lucas stood on top of it and spread his arms as if he had it all. Adding a slight curve to his lips, his broad shoulders flexed along with his washboard abs. Riley would be lying if she said she didn't find Lucas attractive at the moment._

 _"I'm gonna drive this baby around the lake, you guys in?"_

 _She walked towards the dock and stepped onto the boat, "You brought a yacht? Other's would've brought a boat."_

 _"Well," he was in front of her at this time, "I do like to impress."_

 _Maya got on the boat and Zay followed, "C'mon. Start driving."_

 _Tyler walked out from inside the boat and smiled, "You girls look good."_

 _"Thank you," Riley responded. She removed her clothes and modeled a black, one piece bikini with her back fully exposed. She smirked at Lucas and approached Tyler._

 _And the games have begun..._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Their lips met instantaneously and Riley felt herself kissing back. Lucas was amused with this as he fought with her for dominance, sending them into a voracious kiss. When Lucas pulled her closer, Riley felt the bulge in his swim shorts and in returned she settled her hand on his neck._

 _His hands went down to her hips, then slowly running to her ass. Pressing himself against her, Lucas groaned at the friction created by his move. Riley suppressed her moan and tilted her head to get deeper into the kiss. Grasping her, Lucas picked her up and settled her down as he climbed on top of her. The kiss could've lasted, but feeling his bulge growing, Riley stopped him. "Wait."_

 _He rested his forehead against hers, slowly breathing, "What is it?"_

 _"We can't do this."_

 _"Sex?"_

 _"What else?" she pushed him off of her. As she stood up, she could feel her knees go weak but she remained up. "C'mon, we don't wanna leave the rest out on that boat."_

 _"Yacht," Lucas informed._

 _"Whatever. C'mon," Swinging her hips, with a smirk on her lips, Riley walked straight to the jet ski._

 _Not bad, Friar, not bad._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **Dangerous _Woman_**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][]**

Lucas wasn't pleased.

He was, although, pleased when Riley let him kiss. He gave her the impression that he wanted to go further multiple times but she wouldn't let him. His hands would intentionally run down to her hips and then skim to her lower back, but as he would go lower, she'd bring them back up to her back again. He'd be lying if he told himself he didn't mind it but inside, underneath all the fuckboi, he was a little indignant. Riley was gorgeous and nothing like her was in his interests, but to him, she was the exception. She seemed different and Lucas really liked that about her.

Riley ended the kiss and left the office. Confused, Lucas went after her but stopped when he saw Riley tug on Tyler's shirt and lead him to the dance floor. Tyler was imprecise at first but then smirked when his friends started 'oohing' and whistling.

Riley sent a wink in Lucas way and just like that; he was pissed. He'd never been jealous before and he hated the feeling. Lucas didn't even want to brand his feeling as jealousy, he was just mad at Tyler.

Throughout the years he's known him, Lucas was the hotter one. That's how he acknowledged himself. Like Tyler was inferior to him. But then Riley came along, and made him think otherwise.

In fact, as Tyler smiled at Riley, Lucas's balled his hands into fists. He hadn't felt this angry in the longest time and knowing Riley was the reason angered him even more.

He watched them dance until the song ended. He followed her in the direction she went and quickly caught up to her. "What the hell was that?" He pulled her in order to face him.

It was simple. Riley thought. I kiss him, leave him wanting more, and dance with his best friend.

She tried her best to get Lucas jealous, but instead, she got a completely different reaction.

Not getting an answer, Lucas grabbed onto her wrist but Riley wasn't happy with that.

She slapped his hand away, "Grab me like that one more time and I will bitch slap you." Her anger soon subsided when Tyler approached them. "Tyler, hey."

He stood next to her and looked at Lucas, "Good to see you guys are hanging out."

"Yeah. We're getting along just great." Lucas answered, his eyes on Riley and no one else.

Tyler smiled and from what Lucas could see, he placed his hands on her back before they made their way to her hip. "Where's Maya?"

"She went upstairs. Said she needed to send someone a text."

A text?

"I'll go look for her," Riley informed. "Won't take long." She said that merely because she could see Lucas was getting irritated. Why is he even irritated in the first place? Or more importantly, why would he grab her like that? She could still see the face he made when his hand made contact with hers, he had dangerous written all over him. Confused and a little excited, Riley ran a hand through her hair as she ascended the steps. Along the way, she took out her phone and saw three texts from Maya.

 **Come upstairs. Now.**

 **Lucas room.**

 **First door to the left.**

She followed Maya's directions and soon found her in a nicely furnished room, better than their guest room.

"What took you so long?" Maya asked coming in from the bathroom door.

"I was with...um...I was just talking with Lucas. Why are you here?"

"Look at this," she handed her a letter.

"Did he write about his first time?" Riley teased as she read the words on the envelope, Peter Friar. "Who's this?"

"That's Lucas's dad," Maya answered.

Just then Riley threw the letter at Maya. "No. This stuff is personal stuff-"

"Yeah. Just like his penis in every other vagina."

"Shh," Riley hushed. "I think I hear something. Someone's coming."

Maya and Riley's eyes widened. Not knowing what to do, they hid behind Lucas's bed. Soon after, when nobody walked in the room, Riley and Maya peeked their heads out from under the bed and looked at each other. "We can't be in here," Riley told Maya. "That could've been Lucas and if he saw in his here...we don't know what he could do. And it'd be worse because you would be holding a letter his dad sent him."

"C'mon. Aren't you the least bit curious to know?"

"No. Because his business is his business. Not mine. And please tell me you didn't read it."

"I didn't. It was already opened."

"Let's just go. Chop chop! I have a fuckboi to seduce. And why would his dad send him a letter?"

"Because his parents are divorced." Maya placed the letter on the bed and followed Riley out the door.

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's why his mom goes by Wesley instead of Friar." Maya slowly closed the door.

"I didn't know that."

She opened the door and looked both ways before giving Riley a nod, "There's a lot to the story even his closest friends don't know. And that's territory you are not to approach. Got it?"

Riley nodded.

"How's it going anyway?"

"With what?"

"The whole seduction plan. Is it working? Tell me it's working."

"Yeah. It's getting there. I just think it could use a little more."

"More what?"

"A little more, I don't know, sexiness?"

"Sexiness?"

She nodded, "I'm starting to get to know Lucas. And I know that if I keep playing hard to get, he'll lose interest."

"Riley think with your head."

"I am thinking with my head. And I know if I show more of...myself...he'll be interested."

"Can you do it? Because he'll probably jump at the chance to grab your ass once he sees it."

Riley had no doubt she could physically attract Lucas, she had before, but she did have her doubts in sexually titillating him. Nodding in response, Riley replied: "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Let me know what you think about Riley wanting to use sexiness to make Lucas fall for her? Smart or nah? Also, Lucas' parents are divorced? His dad's name is Peter? How will that escalate?**


	12. Hear My Story

**A/N: The song used in this chapter is titled _Addicted to You_ by Shakira. **

**amymayy2003: Thank you so much for reading.**

 **LucasFriarLove: Lucas dad is named Peter and he married Lucas' mom, whose name will be revealed in future chapters. The name of the twin hasn't been included, well shit. I have to go back and add it somewhere, trust me I will. I still don't know how many chapters there will be, but more than 20.**

 **naelacy: Right. Who doesn't love a jealous Lucas? And that info Maya found is what sort of gives this story an official plot. Riley doesn't know what she really feels, but let's let this chapter decide. ;) Riley feels like she needs to be sexy to get his attention and so it can stay. But as of Tyler being a huge jerk, Maya did say he was too good to be true. What will that say?**

 **Rbsg: Will Riley and Maya use Lucas' dad to hurt him? No. Will there be hints as to what will happen later on in the story? Yes.**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _She walked towards the dock and stepped onto the boat, "You brought a yacht? Other's would've brought a boat."_

 _"Well," he was in front of her at this time, "I do like to impress."_

 _Maya got on the boat and Zay followed, "C'mon. Start driving."_

 _Tyler walked out from inside the boat and smiled, "You girls look good."_

 _"Thank you," Riley responded. She removed her clothes and modeled a black, one piece bikini with her back fully exposed. She smirked at Lucas and approached Tyler._

 _And the games have begun..._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Their lips met instantaneously and Riley felt herself kissing back. Lucas was amused with this as he fought with her for dominance, sending them into a voracious kiss. When Lucas pulled her closer, Riley felt the bulge in his swim shorts and in returned she settled her hand on his neck._

 _His hands went down to her hips, then slowly running to her ass. Pressing himself against her, Lucas groaned at the friction created by his move. Riley suppressed her moan and tilted her head to get deeper into the kiss. Grasping her, Lucas picked her up and settled her down as he climbed on top of her. The kiss could've lasted, but feeling his bulge growing, Riley stopped him. "Wait."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"I was thirteen when my mom got this place and I remember the day she told me this..."_

 _"Told you what?"_

 _He looked at her for a few seconds before he turned to look at the moon, "That I had a twin."_

 _Riley froze as she stared at him, his eyes holding something that she can't quite understand. "A twin?"_

 _He nodded. "Shocking, isn't it?"_

 _"Yes. Lucas Friar has a twin."_

 _"Not...anymore," a heavy silence fell between them and Riley raised a brow. "He died when we were three."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Maya and Riley's eyes widened. Not knowing what to do, they hid behind Lucas's bed. Soon after, when nobody walked in the room, Riley and Maya peeked their heads out from under the bed and looked at each other. "We can't be in here," Riley told Maya. "That could've been Lucas and if he saw in his here...we don't know what he could do. And it'd be worse because you would be holding a letter his dad sent him."_

 _"C'mon. Aren't you the least bit curious to know?"_

 _"No. Because his business is his business. Not mine. And please tell me you didn't read it."_

 _"I didn't. It was already opened."_

 _"Let's just go. Chop chop! I have a_ fuckboi _to seduce. And why would his dad send him a letter?"_

 _"Because his parents are divorced." Maya placed the letter on the bed and followed Riley out the door._

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah. That's why his mom goes by Wesley instead of Friar." Maya slowly closed the door._

 _"I didn't know that."_

 _She opened the door and looked both ways before giving Riley a nod, "There's a lot to the story even his closest friends don't know. And that's territory you are not to approach. Got it?"_

Riley nodded.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley had been to multiple parties before. Multiple high school parties and none of them compared to this one. And while she had a good time, she felt two emerald colored eyes on her. She ignored them for most of the time but she would occasionally turn around to make sure he was still there. Lucas wasn't the only guy watching her dance by herself, he was, although, the only guy that didn't approach her.

Suddenly, she wasn't just dancing with only one guy but with another girl. She swung her hair and twerked a bit, but the level of excitement in the room was high. When the song ended Lucas walked towards Riley and to his luck she let him pull on her. He walked her out of the herd of people and looked at her.

"What?" Riley remarked.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "We need to talk?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow." She turned her back on him but before she could take a step Lucas pulled her back.

"I meant now."

"We're at a party. It can wait."

"I don't think it can."

Riley saw how sincere he was and the level of seriousness he possessed matched his tone of voice. Feeling a cold breeze pass her, she nodded, "Fine."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

They waltzed through the forest of trees in silence. He stopped walking and sat down on a tree trunk that had fallen to its side. Lucas patted the area next to him so Riley can sit down but when their eyes met, she didn't look like obeying his gesture.

"Did you just pat for me to sit down?" She questioned.

"Just sit down," he breathed.

"Okay," she sat down. "Now what? What does the _Lucas Friar_ want to talk about?"

He scoffed and looked at her, "You read the letter, didn't you?"

She gulped, "What letter?"

"The one in my room," her eyes didn't match his anymore and that only answered his question. "C'mon you don't have to lie to me."

She sighed in defeat. "I walked in there to go to the bathroom. When I got out I saw the letter on the bed and I read it. I didn't even know it was your room until after I read it." Her lies wouldn't get her far, but she couldn't tell Lucas the real truth.

"It's okay," he deadpanned. A wave of silence fell upon them and Riley wasn't uncomfortable with it. Normally she'd make an excuse and leave but she felt different at the second. "I don't live with my dad, Riley."

She rutted her eyebrows.

"He had a tough job and he started drinking - "

"Lucas-"

"You already read the letter." _She hadn't_. "The least you can do is hear my story."

Riley nodded because she did, in fact, want to know. She wanted to know why Lucas acted the way he did even if he had a troubled past. She noticed his inscrutable expression and decided not to question it.

"I was nine when I started noticing how uncomfortable my mom was when he was home. She wouldn't be herself and she would show less skin. Of course, this happened before I realized she was hiding her bruises, the ones my dad would give her."

"I hardly knew my him. He was an attorney - a damn good one, that's why he was always so busy. One day on a Saturday morning, he came home. Pissed and drunk like usual and he beat my mom. I don't think he even knew I was home. I was too scared to come out of my room so I hid under my bed. I heard her scream, I heard her begging him to stop but he never did. And after about seven long minutes or so I came out from under my bed and I walked out my room."

Her eyes didn't meet his.

"There was broken glass on the floor, the TV was knocked over and my mom was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until I walked into her room when I found her. She was unconscious and...and she was..."

Riley felt her own eyes tear up.

"...covered in blood. Should've seen her, she was so still I thought she was dead."

Riley pressed her forehead against his and caressed his cheeks with her thumb, but his eyes still wouldn't meet hers.

"I walked towards her but I stopped when I saw him. The only reason I even noticed him was because of the blood dripping from his fists. I was so scared of him that I couldn't even move." He shook his head in distress and proceeded with the story, "When he saw me, he started laughing. He asked me why I was home so early and other questions that I can hardly remember. He wasn't acting like himself; then again, I didn't really know him. So I ran towards the kitchen so I can get to the phone...but before I could round the corner, he caught up to me and...he dragged me back towards the hallway. He took the phone from my hands and placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn't yell. I bit his finger and he booted me in the stomach, he slapped me for a bit but my mom was conscious enough to grab my baseball bat and hit him over the head with it. She wouldn't stop until she knew he was out."

Lucas finally looked at Riley and breathed, "My mom called the police and my dad was arrested. When we realized he was only going to jail for a few months we moved here...to forget and to start over."

He could feel tears build in his eyes and before he could stop them, they rolled down his cheeks.

His hands gripped her hips and in that moment Riley would be lying if she didn't feel something for him, realizing that it was wrong, she pulled from him. "Change of subject."

He took a seat next to her and sighed, not entirely happy with what she had done.

Riley observed his behavior when his jaw clenched. She wanted to talk about it because that's something she'd always wanted to do, to give. But she didn't really know how to start. "Lucas it's not going to be easy, but always know: there's nothing smaller than the man who put a bottle of tequila before their own child."

For just a moment, Riley and Lucas were all that mattered. It no longer was about Lucas' troubled past or his dad, just them. He locked his eyes with Riley and bound the distance between their lips by pulling her closer into a searing kiss. Riley was about to push him off, but the way his lips felt against hers had her reciprocating. His thumbs ran along the curve of her cheekbones as his hands settled on her cheeks.

The kiss was needy and hungry and before Riley knew it she was already straddling him.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Remaining loyal to her plan, Riley didn't exactly let Lucas touch her the way he intended to. She heard a few groans from him then and there, but nothing major. She did, although, feel good that she helped lighten him up a bit and the grin on his lips said it all. They stopped by the main living room where the majority of people danced and she sat down on a stool. They talked for a minute until she heard one of her favorite songs play.

"You wanna dance?" she asked Lucas.

He shook his head and drank from his red cup. "Let's just talk."

"We'll let our bodies do the talking," Riley's hands slid from his biceps down to his hands and as they clasped, she pulled him forward. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Giving in, Lucas followed her to the center of the dance floor and before he could place his hands on her hips; Riley did a circular movement that sure as hell hot his juices flowing. He smiled as he realized the rhythm of the song was something Riley could dance to.

 _Debe ser el perfume que usas_

 _O el agua con la que te bañas_

 _Pero cada cosita que haces_

 _A mi me parece una hazana_

 _Me besaste esa noche_

 _Cual si fuera el ultimo día de tu boca_

 _Cada que yo me acuerdo_

 _Yo siento en mi pecho el peso de una roca_

 _Son tus ojos marrones_

 _Con esa marrones verdosa_

 _Es tu cara de niño_

 _Y esa risa nerviosa_

Chocolate brown eyes met emerald as Riley placed her hands on Lucas' shoulders. She smiled when he smiled back and in that moment Riley realized she had been dancing with the Lucas Friar, in the public eye. She smirked at the girl giving her the eye and then presumed to him.

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

Lucas spun Riley around so her back faced him. He heard her sharp intake of breath and suddenly he smirked. God, did he love hearing that sound come from her. He held himself against her and Riley placed her hands atop, smiling as he gently breathed into her ear. With the movements Riley brushed against him, it took everything in his willpower to not drag her off the dance floor and take her somewhere private.

Riley sang the words to the song and smiled: "Por el puro placer de flotar. Ahora si me lleva la corriente"

 _Ya no puedo dormir ni comer_

 _Como lo hace la gente decente_

 _Y tu recuerdo ha quedado_

 _Así como un broche prendido en mi almohada_

 _Y tu en cambio que tienes memoria de pez_

 _No te acuerdas de nada_

 _Son tus manos de hombre_

 _El olor de tu espalda_

 _Lo que no tiene nombre_

 _Lo logra tu mirada_

Lucas was well aware of the effect Riley was granting upon him. But the rhythm her hips were following was nothing more than a pleasure he wanted from her.

The thought of sleeping with her merely to please himself came to mind and he dismissed it when Riley turned to face him. Her hips continued to rock to the beat of the music and Lucas clearly enjoyed it.

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby, I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby, I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Apologies to the majority of you who have no clue what the song was about. But as I stated before, the song is titled Addicted to You by Shakira. You might not know what it's about but give it a listen. The song sounds good either way. It also has a purpose to the chapter, whoever is first to review telling me why the song fit the chapter and Rucas in general, will get a shoutout in the next chapter. I also have to go because it is Christmas Eve and I wanna spend it with my family. Don't forget to review.**


	13. Tell Me About the Cave

**A/N: Yes, I know. It's a Saturday and you guys must be confused. But I felt like publishing something today. Violet1429 you are killing it with this type of stuff, keep em coming. Thank you guys so much for the reviews, they truly mean a lot to me. This chapter is a little different, not much of a story but some things will be revealed. Let me know what you think.**

 **Violet1429: Lucas is the type of person who looks like he wouldn't think twice about you, but if you know him really well, to a point where he would open up to you, then he'd truly care for you. That is the way I'm trying to portray him. There's reason as to why he would keep you close, is that understandable? I'm trying to get my point across without confusing you. Let me know if you need more clarification. As for the song. Every single song used in this story serves a purpose. Except for Leave Me Lonely, which is only there because I liked the way it sounded and it fit the theme I was going for. Addicted to You is obviously like: I really like you and I can't resist you. But I also wanted it to be like: let me love you, you're beautiful and I like you. **

**naelacy: Exactly. Your review pretty much sums it up. And the vulnerability Lucas portrays will be answered later on in this story.**

 **JJ: Where do we start? Dangerous Woman isn't about sex. Will it be talked about? Yes. Will there be a moment in there? Yes. Will there be smut? No. It's just not going to happen. But there will be hints. Like Lucas walking around in just his underwear. Or Riley in a bikini, I don't know. But I believe I've worked hard and dedicated some of my time to write these chapters and only to be told that sex should be included, just sort of misses the entire point. You clearly ignored what happened in the first half of the other chapter. Look around, the other people complimented the Lucas moment, but you.**

 **Siennese: Riley is slowly changing Lucas in a way he doesn't know yet. He doesn't know why or how but Riley has an affect on him. Everything you've stated so far will be revealed in future chapters, but there is also more to the story that needs to be revealed. As of now, Riley doesn't plan on hurting Lucas with this information. I really hope you like this chapter and let me know what you think.**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _She_ _shook her head. "Just surprised."_

 _"Well, we are full of those. Right, Riley?" He walked passed her but stopped when she placed her hand in front of him._

 _"What would that mean?"_

 _"Means, I know why you're here."_

 _"Did I catch you at a bad day or something?"_

 _"No, just at the wrong time."_

 _She let him walk past her feeling a slight tug. Confused, Riley followed. "What does that mean?"_

 _"Sorell. You know exactly who that is, don't you?"_

 _Her lips thinned and for a second Riley thought about him. "How do you know him?"_

 _He scoffed, "Be real with me. You really like Lucas or are you just messin' with him?"_

 _"That's none of your business."_

 _He nodded, "That's all I needed to know."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"I was thirteen when my mom got this place and I remember the day she told me this..."_

 _"Told you what?"_

 _He looked at her for a few seconds before he turned to look at the moon, "That I had a twin."_

 _Riley froze as she stared at him, his eyes holding something that she can't quite understand. "A twin?"_

 _He nodded. "Shocking, isn't it?"_

 _"Yes. Lucas Friar has a twin."_

 _"Not...anymore," a heavy silence fell between them and Riley raised a brow. "He died when we were three."_

 _Riley struggled to say something, she struggled to find the right words or the right gesture to make him feel better._

 _"It's funny you know? One day you feel fine and you feel like you have it all under control, but the next day...it's different." He turned to her and smiled, "It explained a lot, actually."_

 _For the first time, there was a sense of broken inside Lucas. One that he carried but never displayed. "Can I ask how?"_

 _He arched a brow._

 _"How did he...die?"_

 _"Heart failure."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"Look at this," she handed her a letter._

 _"Did he write about his first time?" Riley teased as she read the words on the envelope, Peter Friar. "Who's this?"_

 _"That's Lucas's dad," Maya answered._

 _Just then Riley threw the letter at Maya. "No. This stuff is personal stuff-"_

 _"Yeah. Just like his penis in every other vagina."_

 _"Shh," Riley hushed. "I think I hear something. Someone's coming."_

 _Maya and Riley's eyes widened. Not knowing what to do, they hid behind Lucas's bed. Soon after, when nobody walked in the room, Riley and Maya peeked their heads out from under the bed and looked at each other. "We can't be in here," Riley told Maya. "That could've been Lucas and if he saw in his here...we don't know what he could do. And it'd be worse because you would be holding a letter his dad sent him."_

 _"C'mon. Aren't you the least bit curious to know?"_

 _"No. Because his business is his business. Not mine. And please tell me you didn't read it."_

 _"I didn't. It was already opened."_

 _"Let's just go. Chop chop! I have a_ fuckboi _to seduce. And why would his dad send him a letter?"_

 _"Because his parents are divorced." Maya placed the letter on the bed and followed Riley out the door._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"I was nine when I started noticing how uncomfortable my mom was when he was home. She wouldn't be herself and she would show less skin. Of course, this happened before I realized she was hiding her bruises, the ones my dad would give her."_

 _"I hardly knew my him. He was an attorney - a damn good one, that's why he was always so busy. One day on a Saturday morning, he came home. Pissed and drunk like usual and he beat my mom. I don't think he even knew I was home. I was too scared to come out of my room so I hid under my bed. I heard her scream, I heard her begging him to stop but he never did. And after about seven long minutes or so I came out from under my bed and I walked out my room."_

 _Her eyes didn't meet his._

 _"There was broken glass on the floor, the TV was knocked over and my mom was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until I walked into her room when I found her. She was unconscious and...and she was..."_

 _Riley felt her own eyes tear up._

 _"...covered in blood. Should've seen her, she was so still I thought she was dead."_

 _Riley pressed her forehead against his and caressed his cheeks with her thumb, but his eyes still wouldn't meet hers._

 _"I walked towards her but I stopped when I saw him. The only reason I even noticed him was because of the blood dripping from his fists. I was so scared of him that I couldn't even move." He shook his head in distress and proceeded with the story, "When he saw me, he started laughing. He asked me why I was home so early and other questions that I can hardly remember. He wasn't acting like himself; then again, I didn't really know him. So I ran towards the kitchen so I can get to the phone...but before I could round the corner, he caught up to me and...he dragged me back towards the hallway. He took the phone from my hands and placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn't yell. I bit his finger and he booted me in the stomach, he slapped me for a bit but my mom was conscious enough to grab my baseball bat and hit him over the head with it. She wouldn't stop until she knew he was out."_

Lucas finally looked at Riley and breathed, "My mom called the police and my dad was arrested. When we realized he was only going to jail for a few months we moved here...to forget and to start over."

 _He could feel tears build in his eyes and before he could stop them, they rolled down his cheeks._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Lucas was well aware of the effect Riley was granting upon him. But the rhythm her hips were following was nothing more than a pleasure he wanted from her._

 _The thought of sleeping with her merely to please himself came to mind and he dismissed it when Riley turned to face him. Her hips continued to rock to the beat of the music and Lucas clearly enjoyed it._

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby, I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby, I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

In the early morning, Riley woke up in Lucas' bedroom. She could hardly fathom the object she was resting on and then it hit her. Broad and smooth, Riley's head had been resting on Lucas' bare chest. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped as she could only see the comforter placed on his genitals. She gathered the sheets up to her chest and sighed in relief when she realized she was dressed.

Lucas woke up to her movement and raised an eyebrow at the sight of her hogging all the blankets. His tousled hair and chiseled appearance didn't help the fact that that had been the best thing Riley had woken up to. Her gaze went from his eyes down to his waist and thanking God that Lucas had his boxer briefs on, Riley got off the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered. "I just...I thought we...um..."

"Had sex?" he smirked.

Riley nodded.

"We did-"

"WHAT?!" She questioned. Had she really lost her virginity to Lucas Friar? _How out of it was I?_ She thought to herself.

He laid back down on the bed and laughed. "I'm kidding. I mean, I wanted to, you just wouldn't let me."

Riley pressed her hand against her forehead and sighed. She dropped the comforter she had cocooned herself in and placed it on his bed. Lucas sat upright and unlocked his phone, "It's six in the morning. What are you doing up?"

"What do you mean ''what am I doing up?" she questioned. "Lucas if someone were to walk in on us sleeping they'd assume we had sex."

"Yeah. And...?"

"I don't want anyone assuming anything of the sort-"

"Well, the way you danced with me last night might already have people thinking."

She rolled her eyes and Lucas grinned. "I'm just glad I rejected your penis."

"You didn't reject my lips." He got off the bed and walked towards her, Riley found it hard not to stare at his bulge.

"Why are you undressed?" she asked.

"Because I don't sleep with my clothes on, you shouldn't either."

They were surprisingly close and Riley nor Lucas cared. She titled her head and looked at him, it wasn't long before Lucas had kissed her. He wrapped his hands around her back and brought her in close, Riley kissed back and she wasn't ashamed to jump on him. Already expecting it, Lucas placed his hands on her butt and laid her down on the bed.

He smiled when Riley laughed and for the first time in a long time, Lucas was genuinely happy.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"The last thing I remember is drinking that third shot of tequila," Riley told Maya as they placed their used close in their luggage. Today was their last day and after endless hours of cleaning, they were preparing to go home. "Where did you disappear to?"

Maya looked at Riley and raised a brow, "That's something I need to be asking you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was with Tyler. Where were you?"

"With Lucas. Just like we planned."

Maya drank from her bottle and placed it back down on the nightstand. "Doing...?"

"We danced, talked, that's all." She didn't plan on telling Maya what Lucas told her and she also wanted to leave out the part where they made out.

"Hey, I still get to drive with Tyler on the way back, right?"

Riley looked at Maya with a questioning look. And she also questioned why she naturally assumed she was driving back with Lucas. "Yeah. Sure."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

As Riley typed a lengthy response to _someone_ she was currently arguing with on YouTube, she heard mumbles coming from the next room. She ignored them at first, but as they continued, she was curious to know who it was.

Hitting reply and hoping that _someone_ would be educated on why they were arguing about a Beyoncé video, Riley walked out the room and made a left. She placed her ear on the wooden door and heard Farkle on the phone.

 _"We'll see. Look, I don't know. We're doing this behind his back and this is the first time I've done something like this, let alone sleep with the same girl my friend is dating."_

Riley arched a brow.

 _"All right. Can we talk about this later? Zay is waiting for me in the car...Okay. Late."_

Before Riley could walk away, Farkle opened the door. "What were you doing?"

"What were you saying?" she was quick to question.

"That's none of your business."

"That girl you were with yesterday..." Riley stopped him. Farkle turned around so their eyes can meet, "Someone else is dating her."

He didn't say anything, rather stare at her.

"I won't tell anyone. Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless you don't tell anyone about Sorrell."

"Deal."

Riley nodded.

"You made a bet with someone, didn't you?" Farkle asked. "To seduce Lucas."

"Not quite," she breathed. "I'm doing this for revenge."

"Revenge? On him?"

She nodded once more.

"Riley, seducing Lucas is risky. Make a wrong move and you're plan fails."

"It won't. I know what I'm doing."

"All right then," Farkle said, looking impressed. "The only thing I can say is: there's a reason why so many people fall for him, just be careful."

"I will."

He nodded and walked away.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley giggled softly as she felt Lucas' hands touch her waist. He positioned himself on top of her and pressed his lips gently against hers. He slid off his shirt and stared at her, lustily. Riley's gaze trailed down his divine torso and smiled at what was laid out before her. When Lucas went down to kiss her, Riley noticed a small mark on his rib cage.

"What's this?" she asked as she placed her hand on it. "Is this a tattoo?"

He looked at it and smiled, "Do you like it?"

"What is it? What does it mean?"

"It's the Roman numeral for two," he informed. "To remind me that even though there's only one me in this world, there's two of me in my mom's heart."

Riley smiled, "It's beautiful."

He placed a hand on her cheek and craned his neck downward, bringing her in for another kiss. The more he kissed back the more Riley found herself enjoying it. She knew what she was doing was wrong, so she did the hard thing and placed her hand on his chest to gently push him off.

"What's wrong?" he asked in adorable disappointment.

"You said we were coming down here to talk."

"And we did."

"That's not what I mean."

"I know, but do you seriously wanna talk when we could be making out?"

She laughed and so did he, "How 'bout a compromise?"

"A compromise?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Tell me about the cave you took me to see and if you're lucky I'll let you kiss me for two minutes."

"Ah," he nodded, understanding what she meant by 'compromise'."

"Well, when I was three my dad took my brother and me to see it for the first time. It's sort of the only memory I have of the three of us," he sat up and so did Riley. "That same year my brother died and...everything spiraled downward from there. Not long after, my dad became an alcoholic and an abuser."

Riley stared at him and grabbed his hand for moral support. "I don't know what to say."

"Just don't say you're sorry," he kissed her hand, "I'm not hurt by it really, just disappointed. We were a happy, healthy family and when we needed him the most..." he trailed off.

"I shouldn't have asked, Lucas."

"It's been nine years and you're the first person I've met who has bothered to ask. Thank you." He smiled at her, "Now, I was promised a two-minute makeout session."

"I said if you were lucky-"

Before Riley could finish, his lips pressed against hers. She was really starting to like him.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: For those of you who are still confused and want to see how Lucas' tattoo looks like, it is the Roman Numeral for two:**

 **II**

 **You also got to see what the cave meant to Lucas. More will be revealed in the next few chapters that I can't wait for you to read. Let me know what you think of this chapter by dropping a review. Guest's, you know what to do.**

 **P.S This is the chapter I was writing when I first published the story.**


	14. I Want You to Know

**A/N: Here is another chapter and I hope you guys enjoy. Guests, if you plan on leaving a review (which I hope you do) please give yourselves a Username so it can be acknowledged in the next chapter.**

 **Violet1429: Farkle is extremely different from the actual Farkle we all know and love. I didn't want him to be the same because this type of story doesn't suit his actual character. And with making him a different person, Farkle is going to do things TV Farkle wouldn't do. As for the newfound agreement between Farkle and Riley, what do you think will happen? And he did warn Riley. Tyler and Maya will soon have a moment, trust me. You won't wanna miss it.**

 **Kashirama: You disappeared on me girl. Where have you been?**

 **naelacy: Nothing really happened between Riley and Maya in the previous chapter. Unless I'm forgetting something. Let me know what you were thinking. Mysterious Farkle has sort of been underrated and I wanted him to have a chance, so why not here. Vulnerable Lucas will have his moments in these chapters. Especially on chapters 20-24, don't miss em. I don't like seeing anyone hurt either, but in order for the characters to grow and learn, they'll have to go through some bumps along the way.**

 **amymayy2003: Girl you gotta find the time to give me longer reviews. But as always, I'd rather keep getting your wonderful compliments than nothing at all. Thank you so much.**

 **Marissa Davis: You noticed it, didn't you? So embarrassing. As a writer I am bound to make mistakes, I caught onto it but planned to say nothing because nobody noticed. Honestly, I am more proud than embarrassed. You were the first one to say something about it. Shows me you really know what's happening. And Lucas, Tyler, Farkle etc. know Maya by Chloe because Maya gave herself a makeover to make her look unrecognizable. Hope people still remember that. Lucas and Riley will be open and honest with each other for some time until the last chapters where HELL BREAKS LOOSE! Thanks for the review.**

 **RucasLover24: You are so nice. Honestly, the time and effort I put into this story is so crazy. But thank you,** **not** **just for** **complimenting the ability to write but complimenting the characters. I thrive for both, thank you.**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"Look at this."_

 _"Did he write about his first time?" Riley teased as she read the words on the envelope, Peter Friar. "Who's this?"_

 _"That's Lucas's dad," Maya answered._

 _Just then Riley threw the letter at Maya. "No. This stuff is personal stuff-"_

 _"Yeah. Just like his penis in every other vagina."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"I was nine when I started noticing how uncomfortable my mom was when he was home. She wouldn't be herself and she would show less skin. Of course, this happened before I realized she was hiding her bruises, the ones my dad would give her."_

 _"I hardly knew my him. He was an attorney - a damn good one, that's why he was always so busy. One day on a Saturday morning, he came home. Pissed and drunk like usual and he beat my mom. I don't think he even knew I was home. I was too scared to come out of my room so I hid under my bed. I heard her scream, I heard her begging him to stop but he never did. And after about seven long minutes or so I came out from under my bed and I walked out my room."_

 _Her eyes didn't meet his._

 _"There was broken glass on the floor, the TV was knocked over and my mom was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until I walked into her room when I found her. She was unconscious and...and she was..."_

 _Riley felt her own eyes tear up._

 _"...covered in blood. Should've seen her, she was so still I thought she was dead."_

 _Riley pressed her forehead against his and caressed his cheeks with her thumb, but his eyes still wouldn't meet hers._

 _"I walked towards her but I stopped when I saw him. The only reason I even noticed him was because of the blood dripping from his fists. I was so scared of him that I couldn't even move." He shook his head in distress and proceeded with the story, "When he saw me, he started laughing. He asked me why I was home so early and other questions that I can hardly remember. He wasn't acting like himself; then again, I didn't really know him. So I ran towards the kitchen so I can get to the phone...but before I could round the corner, he caught up to me and...he dragged me back towards the hallway. He took the phone from my hands and placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn't yell. I bit his finger and he booted me in the stomach, he slapped me for a bit but my mom was conscious enough to grab my baseball bat and hit him over the head with it. She wouldn't stop until she knew he was out."_

 _Lucas finally looked at Riley and breathed, "My mom called the police and my dad was arrested. When we realized he was only going to jail for a few months we moved here...to forget and to start over."_

 _He could feel tears build in his eyes and before he could stop them, they rolled down his cheeks._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Chocolate brown eyes met emerald as Riley placed her hands on Lucas' shoulders. She smiled when he smiled back and in that moment Riley realized she had been dancing with the Lucas Friar, in the public eye. She smirked at the girl giving her the eye and then presumed to him._

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 _I'm addicted to you_

 _Porque es un vicio tu piel_

 _Baby I'm addicted to you_

 _Quiero que te dejes querer_

 _Lucas spun Riley around so her back faced him. He heard her sharp intake of breath and suddenly he smirked. God, did he love hearing that sound come from_ her. _He held himself against her and Riley placed her hands atop, smiling as he gently breathed into her ear. With the movements Riley brushed against him, it took everything in his willpower to not drag her off the dance floor and take her somewhere private._

 _Riley sang the words to the song and smiled: "Por el puro placer de_ flotar _. Ahora si me_ lleva _la_ corriente _"_

 _Ya no puedo dormir ni comer_

 _Como lo hace la gente decente_

 _Y tu recuerdo ha quedado_

 _Así como un broche prendido en mi almohada_

 _Y tu en cambio que tienes memoria de pez_

 _No te acuerdas de nada_

 _Son tus manos de hombre_

 _El olor de tu espalda_

 _Lo que no tiene nombre_

 _Lo logra tu mirada_

 _Lucas was well aware of the effect Riley was granting upon him. But the rhythm her hips were following was nothing more than a pleasure he wanted from her._

 _The thought of sleeping with her merely to please himself came to mind and he dismissed it when Riley turned to face him. Her hips continued to rock to the beat of the music and Lucas clearly enjoyed it._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _When Lucas went down to kiss her, Riley noticed a small mark on his rib cage._

 _"What's this?" she asked as she placed her hand on it. "Is this a tattoo?"_

 _He looked at it and smiled, "Do you like it?"_

 _"What is it? What does it mean?"_

 _"It's the Roman numeral for two," he informed. "To remind me that even though there's only one me in this world, there's two of me in my mom's heart."_

 _Riley smiled, "It's beautiful."_

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley walked out of the summer home with her pillow in hand. Their last night had finally arrived and she had to admit, it was the most fun she's had in a really long time. She drove in a Yacht, she made out with one of the hottest guys on the planet, danced with his best friend, found out that the hottest guy on the planet doesn't have the best life and made out with him some more. She grinned the entire time she sauntered towards him and once she reached him, he pulled her in for another kiss.

"You sure we can't stay here for another night?" Lucas asked. It was his home, he had the key, money, anything they needed for a few more days. But one look in her eyes answered his question.

"I have parents, remember?"

"Right," he nodded. "You hungry?"

"Actually yeah, I am."

"Good. We'll stop at Wendy's," he said as he opened the door for her.

Riley smiled and hopped in.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"What did you do then?" Lucas asked intrigued at Riley's story. After ordering their meals to go and Lucas' happily paying for the brunette's meal, they ate in his truck. Lucas stared at Riley multiple times when she would look away and he couldn't help but realize how beautiful she looked without the makeup. Sure she was pretty with it but she was gorgeous without it. He smiled at her and then proceeded to bite his burger.

"Well, I was only twelve when this happened, and he asked me out on April Fools Day, so I thought it was a joke..."

"And you said no, didn't you?"

"Yes. But see I liked him and we were really good friends. It wasn't until the next day when he didn't show up to school that my friend told me he really meant it."

"That must've sucked. That has to be one of our worst fears," Lucas drank from his soda, "Reminds me of the first girl I asked out."

Riley rolled her eyes and placed a fry in her mouth. "Who was she?"

"Isabella Montes," he stated. "I was nine."

"How long did it last?"

"I wish I could say a long time but we only lasted for three days. I broke up with her after I found out she liked someone else."

"Poor thing, you must've been broken," Riley said in pure enjoyment.

"Not really, four minutes later I was dating Emily Sean."

Riley felt her phone vibrate from her back pocket and once she took it out she was surprised who the call came from. Not hesitating to ignore the call, Riley turned off her phone and returned to Lucas.

"Who was that?"

"No one."

"Was it your ex?"

"How'd you know?" she questioned, "Who told you?"

"Relax. No one told me, you made it obvious by the way your eyes nearly fell out of their socket." She ran a hand through her hair and Lucas was nearly tempted to kiss her again. "So how did you guys break up?"

"That's none of your business," she informed.

"That's not fair," Lucas said.

"How is that not fair?"

"I've told you almost everything that has happened in my life, things I haven't even told Tyler."

"So telling you how I broke up with my ex will even that out?"

He nodded, "Detail by detail."

Riley sighed and brought the milkshake to her lips. She didn't want to tell him anything, especially about her past relationship but Lucas had told her many things. Many, many things. And if she planned to break his heart, she'd have to make him fall for her.

"C'mon, tell me how the idiot screwed up."

"He cheated," Riley stated. "And he lied."

The memories she had tried so hard to forget about came back to her. "I don't necessarily know which one of us screwed up because I made some mistakes, but I never crossed the line he crossed. I never cheated and I never lied."

Lucas placed a hand on her knee for moral support. "I don't like him already."

She chuckled, "I'll admit he played me good. He stood me up and I always gave him a second chance. And despite my friend's urgings, I refused to see passed his lies. But now, I know so much more than I did before."

"Like?"

"He's the reason I know how to defend myself." _That was the look. The one where realization hits, where your mind starts jumping to the right conclusions and you begin to look at me differently._

"He hit you?" Lucas nearly growled, his eyes darkening with anger at her claim.

 _"Don't touch me," Riley yelled._

 _"Don't walk away from me!"_

"I'm fine," That wasn't the answer to his question, but it's a phrase she's been telling herself ever since. "Only you know. No one else knows, not even my parents and not even Chloe. So you can't tell anyone."

Lucas gripped the steering wheel, the anger inside him, the one he specifically carried for his father had risen. Riley's hand went to his jaw and shortly after she kissed him. The kiss was to show that she was okay and since Lucas had dealt with an abusive father, she could tell he was angry. "I don't normally tell anyone. But now I hope we're even."

He nodded and kissed her back.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley was glad Lucas was able to carry a conversation afterward. She expected it to be awkward now that he knows something extremely personal but it was the exact opposite. Riley found herself singing to a song as Lucas laughed and kept his eyes strictly on the road. She swung her hair and sang extra loudly just for him and the enjoyment was evident in his eyes.

 _Honey it's raining tonight_  
 _But storms always have an eye have an eye_  
 _Tell me you're covered tonight_  
 _Or tell me lies tell me lies lies_

"You ready? This is where I go crazy..."

Lucas nearly broke out into a laughter when Riley placed her knees on the seat, her back facing the window and began to twerk.

 _I want you to know that it's our time_  
 _You and me bleed the same light_  
 _I want you to know that I'm all yours_  
 _You and me we're the same force_  
 _I want you to know that it's our time_  
 _You and me bleed the same light_  
 _I want you to know that I'm all yours_  
 _You and me run the same course_

"That's enough for you. C'mon, put your seat belt back on."

Riley did as told and breathed. "That was so much fun."

"You have much more energy than I anticipated."

"That's a good thing."

"Yeah. Yeah."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Seems like Lucas now knows something personal about Riley. This chapter wasn't even supposed to exist, I originally wanted Lucas to find out another way. But why take the time and make a big deal out of this when Riley and Lucas are not meant to be perfect? I don't want them to be perfect. They won't have the perfect first kiss, perfect first date or perfect relationship, they are Riley &Lucas [boyfriend&girlfriend] not perfect. I hope you aren't confused. I knew from the very beginning that Riley and Lucas would have that one relationship where they don't label themselves as _boyfriend_ and _girlfriend_ , but who knows? As of now, they will remain _Riley &Lucas_. Let me know what you think by dropping a review and Guests, you know what to do. **


	15. A Great Guy

**A/N: Another chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy. I remember writing this one, it was around two months ago and I was sitting in my room, it was raining outside and I was drinking hot chocolate. Somehow I made the chapter seem like none of that happened but oh well. Hope you guys still enjoy.**

 **naelacy: Lucas likes being the type of person everyone wants to know, but no one really knows him that well. Hopefully, that makes sense. He likes making people feel like he's above them. But will that side of him come out? No...or at least not yet. Maya and Tyler's relationship will be explained, sooner than soon.**

 **amymayy2003: Aww and thank you. And don't delete your account, or at least until this story is over. Lol. But do what YOU want to do.**

 **Siennese: Riley will find herself being Riley with Lucas. She will be confused but then she will realize why. Yes, hell will break loose. Secrets will pile up on top of secrets and then they will spill. It's a dangerous game for a dangerous woman. ;)  
Farkle is subtly the wise one of the brunch. He too makes mistakes but he's the only one that won't do it afterward. And buckle up, the crazy ride has just begun.**

 **JJ: There are times in life, in any age, where you're not going to get what you want...get used to that. I like and accept positive feedback, I will answer your suggestions and will respect you for your generosity. But all you seem to want is smut. Girl, you are twelve. TWELVE. Perhaps you aren't educated on what can happen after sex, STI's and/or pregnancy. It's a thing. Please, be educated, be safe, be smart, be wise. Therefore I am going to be deleting your reviews from now on.**

 **Guest: My 90th reviewer. Thank you. Riley &Lucas will get their happily ever after. And if the relationship were to end, Riley would be the one to end it. Not Lucas. You'll understand why. And Maya, right now and from now on, will be in the way of their relationship. **

**[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"I was nine when I started noticing how uncomfortable my mom was when he was home. She wouldn't be herself and she would show less skin. Of course, this happened before I realized she was hiding her bruises, the ones my dad would give her."_

 _"I hardly knew my him. He was an attorney - a damn good one, that's why he was always so busy. One day on a Saturday morning, he came home. Pissed and drunk like usual and he beat my mom. I don't think he even knew I was home. I was too scared to come out of my room so I hid under my bed. I heard her scream, I heard her begging him to stop but he never did. And after about seven long minutes or so I came out from under my bed and I walked out my room."_

 _Her eyes didn't meet his._

 _"There was broken glass on the floor, the TV was knocked over and my mom was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until I walked into her room when I found her. She was unconscious and...and she was...covered in blood. Should've seen her, she was so still I thought she was dead."_

 _I walked towards her but I stopped when I saw him. The only reason I even noticed him was because of the blood dripping from his fists. I was so scared of him that I couldn't even move." He shook his head in distress and proceeded with the story, "When he saw me, he started laughing. He asked me why I was home so early and other questions that I can hardly remember. He wasn't acting like himself; then again, I didn't really know him. So I ran towards the kitchen so I can get to the phone...but before I could round the corner, he caught up to me and...he dragged me back towards the hallway. He took the phone from my hands and placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn't yell. I bit his finger and he booted me in the stomach, he slapped me for a bit but my mom was conscious enough to grab my baseball bat and hit him over the head with it. She wouldn't stop until she knew he was out."_

 _Lucas finally looked at Riley and breathed, "My mom called the police and my dad was arrested. When we realized he was only going to jail for a few months we moved here...to forget and to start over."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"What's this?" she asked as she placed her hand on it. "Is this a tattoo?"_

 _He looked at it and smiled, "Do you like it?"_

 _"What is it? What does it mean?"_

 _"It's the Roman numeral for two," he informed. "To remind me that even though there's only one me in this world, there's two of me in my mom's heart."_

 _"You seriously wanna talk when we could be making out?"_

 _She laughed and so did he, "How 'bout a compromise?"_

 _"A compromise?" he questioned._

 _She nodded. "Tell me about the cave you took me to see and if you're lucky I'll let you kiss me for two minutes."_

 _"Ah," he nodded, understanding what she meant by 'compromise'."_

 _"Well, when I was three my dad took my brother and me to see it for the first time. It's sort of the only memory I have of the three of us," he sat up and so did Riley. "That same year my brother died and...everything spiraled downward from there. Not long after, my dad became an alcoholic and an abuser."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]** _ **  
**_

 _"C'mon, tell me how the idiot screwed up."_

 _"He cheated," Riley stated. "And he lied."_

 _The memories she had tried so hard to forget about came back to her. "I don't necessarily know which one of us screwed up because I made some mistakes, but I never crossed the line he crossed. I never cheated and I never lied."_

 _Lucas placed a hand on her knee for moral support. "I don't like him already."_

 _She chuckled, "I'll admit he played me good. He stood me up and I always gave him a second chance. And despite my friend's urgings, I refused to see passed his lies. But now, I know so much more than I did before."_

 _"Like?"_

 _"He's the reason I know how to defend myself." That was the look. The one where realization hits, where your mind starts jumping to the right conclusions and you begin to look at me differently._

 _"He hit you?" Lucas nearly growled, his eyes darkening with anger at her claim._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley walked up the stairs to Maya's apartment with a large grin, one from ear to ear. She had the best time with Lucas and she felt like they could manage the unofficial thing going on between them. Five minutes before Riley left Lucas truck, he told her he really liked her. At first, Riley didn't quite believe him and if she didn't know any better she would've scoffed and left his truck, but the sincerity and truth in his eyes said it all. She smiled and told him she liked him too.

Then again that only took ten seconds, the other four minutes and fifty seconds was used up when their mouths battled it out with each other.

As soon as Riley opened the door she was taken aback by the view before her. She didn't expect to find Maya watching tv, with a full-fledged smile marked on her edges. "Hey."

"Hey," Maya replied. "I was waiting for you. How did it go?"

"Great. Yeah, we stopped at Wendy's and we sang on the way back."

"We?" she nearly chastised.

"Well, I was doing all the singing. Lucas was just trying to get a hold of me," she took off her shoes and sat next to Maya. "He really is a great guy."

Maya looked at Riley and raised a brow, "If I didn't know any better I'd think you'd be catching feelings for him."

"Of course not," Riley lied without hesitation. "I would never."

"Great," Maya sighed. "Good that's...good. What's happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you guys talked about anything? Has he told you anything personal?"

"Other than talk about sex...no."

"Then you need to step up your game, at this rate I give him one week before he drops you."

It hurt her to even think about it. But if Maya was saying the truth, then she really did need to step up her game. "What should I do?"

"Have you guys kissed?"

She stared at Maya, "What?"

"Have you guys kissed?"

How should she answer that question? It didn't necessarily sound like Maya was expecting a yes. If she did then she would've replied with a "hell yeah" but since she didn't sound like that at all, Riley didn't know what to say.

"Well...?"

Taking a deep breath, Riley gave an honest answer, "Here and there."

"Perfect. The next time you guys kiss, always be the first one to take it further, even after he takes off his shirt. When he passes your limits, stop him."

Riley nodded.

"You're fine with that, right?"

She nodded once more.

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like you are. I mean you dated Sorrell for six months-"

"I'm fine with that," Riley stated. "What else?"

"As of now, that's all I know. But it's gonna be great, you'll drive him crazy."

Riley nodded, "I'm gonna sleep. Are you coming with?"

"Not yet. I'm not really tired."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **AN HOUR EARLIER!**

Maya leaned back in her seat and smiled as she stared at Tyler's phone. She was happy to finally have finished the collage he asked her to do. She was surprised to see how detailed it turned out. She was so focused and proud with the way it turned out she didn't realize his car was on park.

"Sorry," Maya said once her eyes darted in his direction only to see him smiling.

"Don't worry about it. You look cute when you're focused."

"Here. I think it's one of my best ones," Maya handed Tyler the phone. She didn't catch a reaction from him, but the way his lips spread said it all.

Tyler found himself staring at the many pictures he took when they rode on the Yacht or when they were at the party. The first picture on the collage was taken by Zay. Tyler and Riley had jumped from the Yacht onto the water. The picture was taken once they were in the air and Tyler was in the middle of a backflip while Riley was doing the splits. His eyes moved to the one in the middle, a picture of what seemed to be Maya being pulled back by a strong pair of hands that belonged to him. Seconds before the picture was taken, a slim brunette had passed Maya and uttered the word, "Whore."

Maya was down right ready to pull her by the hair and drag her ass back, but Tyler heard her and did his best to stop Maya. He knew that the one drink he gave her influenced her actions. All he could do was smile. The picture had great lighting and Maya's expression was quite amusing, he had to have Zay take more pictures of them. "I love it," Tyler finally said.

Maya smiled and stared at him once more, "If you don't like the picture of us I can change it-"

"No. It's the best one," he turned his phone off. "I also forgot to tell you we're here."

"Oh. Sorry," Maya said as she sat up.

"Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "Thank you, again, for not only making the collage but for coming. I wouldn't have had this much fun if it wasn't for you."

A short silence fell between them as an Adele song played in the back. Maya didn't know if it was the sway of the music or the way his words came out, but she was compelled to press her lips against his. Once Tyler noticed this movement, he helped pull Maya closer. Soon after, their lips moved to the sway of the song. All Maya could comprehend was that now she was kissing Tyler and regret was far from her mind.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Maya smiled as she sat on the couch. This had been the second time she's kissed Tyler and every time she thought about the kiss, she couldn't help but feel all the butterflies in the pit of her stomach. This was simply the only reason she couldn't sleep. As she flipped through the channels, a sudden realization dawned on her. And knowing quite well Riley was asleep, she was free to mutter it. "I think I like Tyler."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Remember when I said Tyler plays an important factor in the story? Yeah, well, this is where it begins. I had so much fun writing this chapter not only because it took me an hour and a half to write, but because this was all I needed to make the ending more interesting. Well, close to the ending. Thank you guys so much for reading and always feel free to leave a review. Guests, you know what to do. And, let's get this story to 100 reviews.**

 **P.S When you give me suggestions, I am 1,000% percent fine with that. But if I tell you I won't be accepting them please, please, please, please respect that. That's all I ask from you, respect my choices. Thank you.**


	16. Just Another You

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews. They mean a lot to me. Always feel free to leave your thoughts. Guest's, Usernames are a must.**

 **Siennese: Nice. I really like that quote and it really suits this story. I like it. And thank you for reviewing.**

 **amymayy2003: Good, that's great. But all I truly ask for is patience. I think this story will end somewhere in the next two months. =)**

 **Marissa Davis: You are who you surround yourself with...or are you? I answered in previous chapters that Riley won't use Lucas' life to hurt him. You will see why she won't in the next chapters. Farkle is a piece in this story that tends to be underrated. Will it last? No. His stance will soon be revealed. Updates come every Fridays.**

 **naelacy: Yes. Of course, I do take suggestions. But I can't promise I'll accept all of them. Tyler and Maya, they are what started this story. As Maya once said, "He's [Tyler] too good to be true." ;)**

 **RucasLover24: Whether you hate Maya or dislike her or even like Tyler and Riley together...ultimately I really don't care. It's great, don't get me wrong. There are ships in this fandom and not everyone is gonna agree on something. Thank you for loving this story and for reviewing. Your opinion is most important.**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Riley giggled softly as she felt Lucas' hands touch her waist. He positioned himself on top of her and pressed his lips gently against hers. He slid off his shirt and stared at her, lustily. Riley's gaze trailed down his divine torso and smiled at what was laid out before her. When Lucas went down to kiss her, Riley noticed a small mark on his rib cage._

 _"What's this?" she asked as she placed her hand on it. "Is this a tattoo?"_

 _He looked at it and smiled, "Do you like it?"_

 _"What is it? What does it mean?"_

 _"It's the Roman numeral for two," he informed. "To remind me that even though there's only one me in this world, there's two of me in my mom's heart."_

 _Riley smiled, "It's beautiful."_

 _He placed a hand on her cheek and craned his neck downward, bringing her in for another kiss. The more he kissed back the more Riley found herself enjoying it. She knew what she was doing was wrong, so she did the hard thing and placed her hand on his chest to gently push him off._

 _"What's wrong?" he asked in adorable disappointment._

 _"You said we were coming down here to talk."_

 _"And we did."_

 _"That's not what I mean."_

 _"I know."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"What did you do then?" Lucas asked intrigued with Riley's story. After ordering their meals to go and Lucas' happily paying for the brunette's meal, they ate in his truck. Lucas stared at Riley multiple times when she would look away and he couldn't help but realize how beautiful she looked without the makeup. Sure she was pretty with it but she was gorgeous without it. He smiled at her and then proceeded to bite his burger._

 _"Well, I was only twelve when this happened, and he asked me out on April Fools Day, so I thought it was a joke..."_

 _"And you said no, didn't you?"_

 _"Yes. But see I liked him and we were really good friends. It wasn't until the next day when he didn't show up to school that my friend told me he really meant it."_

 _"That must've sucked. That has to be one of our worst fears," Lucas drank from his soda, "Reminds me of the first girl I asked out."_

 _Riley rolled her eyes and placed a fry in her mouth._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Riley was glad Lucas was able to carry a conversation afterward. She expected it to be awkward now that he knows something extremely personal but it was the exact opposite. Riley found herself singing to a song as Lucas laughed and kept his eyes strictly on the road. She swung her hair and sang extra loudly just for him and the enjoyment was evident in his eyes._

 _Honey it's raining tonight_  
 _But storms always have an eye have an eye_  
 _Tell me you're covered tonight_  
 _Or tell me lies tell me lies lies_

 _"You ready? This is where I go crazy..."_

 _Lucas nearly broke out into a laughter when Riley placed her knees on the seat, her back facing the window and began to twerk._

 _I want you to know that it's our time_  
 _You and me bleed the same light_  
 _I want you to know that I'm all yours_  
 _You and me we're the same force_  
 _I want you to know that it's our time_  
 _You and me bleed the same light_  
 _I want you to know that I'm all yours_  
 _You and me run the same course_

 _"That's enough for you. C'mon, put your seat belt back on."_

 _Riley did as told and breathed. "That was so much fun."_

 _"You have much more energy than I anticipated."_

 _"That's a good thing."_

 _"Yeah. Yeah."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Maya smiled and stared at him once more, "If you don't like the picture of us I can change it-"_

 _"No. It's the best one," he turned his phone off. "I also forgot to tell you we're here."_

 _"Oh. Sorry," Maya said as she sat up._

 _"Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "Thank you, again, for not only making the collage but for coming. I wouldn't have had this much fun if it wasn't for you."_

 _A short silence fell between them as an Adele song played in the back. Maya didn't know if it was the sway of the music or the way his words came out, but she was compelled to press her lips against his. Once Tyler noticed this movement, he helped pull Maya closer. Soon after, their lips moved to the sway of the song. All Maya could comprehend was that now she was kissing Tyler and regret was far from her mind._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley waited for Lucas at the park. She was dressed in her gray fitness Lululemon leggings with a matching sports bra. Her hair was in a ponytail and there was still no sign of Lucas. She was about to call him when she felt a strong pair of hands wrap around her waist, his lips then went to her ear and Riley slightly smiled. "You look great."

"So do you," she complimented. Turning around to face him, Lucas wore a muscle shirt that sure enough showed off his muscles and chiseled physique. She smiled before Lucas brought her in for another kiss.

"Should we begin?"

Riley groaned, "Do we have to? I mean if you're trying to get me in shape all you-"

"That's not it. C'mon, I normally do this everyday but ever since you've randomly popped into my life I've been slacking, it'll be fun. I promise."

"How much are we running?"

"A mile. It's not much, it normally takes me six to seven minutes, I'm not sure about you."

"You'll be surprised. I was in track for three years."

"Then it'll be fun. C'mon, princess. Show me what you've got..."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Seven minutes later, after finishing their mile run, Lucas and Riley stopped running. Lucas had won the race and stopped over a bridge that connected to halves of one of the longest rivers in town. After a minute or so of trying to catch their breaths, Riley took in her surroundings. Her feet ached and she chose to smile through the pain, thick trees and rushing water were only some of the beautiful aspects of nature surrounding them. She looked over at Lucas and laughed.

"You think this is funny?" He breathed. He hadn't run in a few weeks and he was extremely tired.

"No. I just, this place is beautiful."

Lucas looked at the trees and took a deep breath, "I've never really paid much attention to it."

"You should. I mean, it's so quiet. So peaceful. The only thing you can hear is the river, the birds..." she took a step closer to him, "Your breathing."

"Sexy, isn't it?"

She laughed.

"How are you not tired?" Lucas questioned, placing his hands on the back of his head.

Riley had never been attracted to armpit hair before, but that was because it had never looked so good on anyone. Of course, that was until she met Lucas Friar. I mean is there anything in his appearance that doesn't look good? _Those muscles are to die for and that vein, that vein, of my God, orgasm_. She chuckled at her thoughts and answered his questioned, "Miles are our warm-up for track. This to me, is simply nothing."

"All right princess, let's pay the Gym a visit then."

"Lead the way."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Maya rested on her couch binge-watching the sixth season of _Pretty Little Liars_. She didn't have time to watch it when it aired on Tv and now she does. She's realized she's had much more time on her plate ever since Riley had dedicated her time to breaking Lucas' heart. At times, she'd remember the kiss and smile but then all her brain could muster was that she kissed the person Riley liked. But did Riley really like him? Ever since she's been spending her time with Lucas, which was a lot actually, Tyler wasn't someone she'd talk about.

"Hey, baby girl," Katy said as she walked into their apartment with groceries in her hands. "A little help?"

Maya walked towards her mother and placed a bag on the counter, she then gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "You're home early."

"Last time I was home this early you went on that trip with your friends. Where's Riley, honey?"

"Ah, she's with...with a boy."

"A boy?" Katy questioned.

"Yeah. She'll be back any minute."

"Okay," Katy said. "You wanna help me with dinner?"

"Will you make Spaghetti?"

"All right then...but you're washing the dishes tonight."

"Deal."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"You see, any normal teen would buy a gym membership and go to the gym. Not own one," Riley informed, as Lucas led her in his own gym. "I can't believe you, Lucas."

"What's wrong with it?"

"You really are about that life."

"The fitness one? Hell yeah. And I intend for you to be too. Track ain't all that."

"Okay then. What do you plan on teaching me?"

"Well first, we're stretching. Then we're doing strength activities. You know what that is, right?"

Riley rolled her eyes, "I'm not an idiot. When do we start?"

"That will be now," he answered. "We start off with toe touches, jumping jacks, ankle hops, squats, and judging from your appearance you do a lot of those, lunges, push-ups, wall sits, -"

Riley grew impatient and scoffed.

"See, now I lost track."

"Good. Now we can start."

Lucas began his stretch and Riley followed his example. He tried not to ogle while she bent down. A slight smirk marked his lips but it faded when Riley stared at him. Seconds later, they moved onto their next one. They continue doing various stretches until Lucas gestures for her to stand. "This is where it get's a little more difficult."

"How?"

"I can do about one-hundred and thirty sit-ups in under three minutes. I say you can do around seventy non-stop."

"Sounds about right," Riley informed. Lucas walked to the long mirror on the wall and picked up a mat, he placed it on the floor and gestured for her to lay on it.

"We're going to see how many you can do in one minute," Lucas informed. "Ready...," she nodded. "Go."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][]**

As Maya helped her mom with dinner, Maya felt her phone buzz. She turned to look at the caller and was shocked to see Tyler's name. Silently screaming and growing a smile from ear to ear, Maya answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Chloe, hey...um...c-can we talk?" Tyler stuttered.

Maya arched a brow at first but then agreed, "Sure. Where?"

"I'll pick you up. Same place?"

"That works."

"I'll see you then."

Maya ended the call and turned to her mom. "Is it fine if I'm gone for an hour or so?"

"An hour?"

"It might not even be thirty minutes. Please, mom. I'm meeting up with this really cute guy and I really, really want him to like me."

Katy looked at her daughter and smiled, "That's fine baby girl. But please promise me you'll wait. I don't want any buns in that oven until after you're twenty."

"I'm not going to have sex with him. He's not like that. Promise."

"Okay then. Get out of here before he leaves."

"Love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Maya opened the door to Tyler's car and slipped inside. She turned to him and smiled, "Hey."

"Hi," he replied.

A minute of silence was bestowed upon them and neither of them knew how to break it.

Tyler sat there, nervous and a little disappointed in himself. Not for only kissing someone he wasn't supposed to or someone he hardly new, but for not being completely honest with himself. He really didn't want to do this because deep down he does like her, but he is now starting to realize he had been leading her on intentionally. 98% of this was his fault, he initiated all their conversations and flirted from time to time. But after their kiss, Tyler was frightened by how similar it felt. It brought back many memories of the girl he liked before Chloe and that led him to believe he was still into her. It will always be her, not Chloe.

Maya couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She tried many times to conceal it, to not let him know she liked him but then again she couldn't care any less. If he knew how Maya felt, then why should she try to change that? That was how she was raised. She could never understand why many people didn't want their crush to know how they felt towards them, to her it seemed liked a given opportunity, to be honest with yourself. _Secrets have a way of coming out after all._ It brought her back to the time she first met Tyler. When she wasn't hiding behind a new haircut and an oversized, expensive sweater to make her style look rare. He seemed too good to be true, he cared about the well-beings of others, never gave any fucks about opinions that only questioned his character, he was selfless.

And ever since Lucas had broken up with her, said all those terrible things and left her out in the cold to walk herself home, Tyler apologized on his behalf. He said Lucas wasn't acting like himself but she was too angry, too embarrassed to pay any attention as to what he said about Lucas. All she understood from the long text message was she had been crushing on the wrong guy. It was only Tyler who could make her feel special when Lucas did otherwise, it was only he who could make her smile when no one else even tried.

And now, as she sat next to the guy she likes, the guy whom she's kissed not once but twice, she had hope. She had hope in the happily ever after she deserved and the one she's wanted. Had her time really come?

"About the kiss last night..." Tyler began. He really didn't want to do this. He spent two hours on his bed contemplating on whether he should tell her or not and every time he tried to forget about it, to ignore the fact he had kissed another girl when he had feelings for someone else, the other girl he truly liked would magically pop into thought and stare at him with disappointment. But Chloe didn't deserve this, not even a portion of guilt. "It was a mistake."

Maya could hear her heart breaking. Her mind freezing, only concentrating on his choice of words. _It was a mistake._ "Yeah." She quickly agreed. "I had a feeling I came onto you to strong."

"No, that wasn't at all what I meant. I wanted to kiss you, but when I did..."

 _It wasn't what you wanted._

"...I realized I had feelings for somebody else."

"Oh," she said softly.

"Chloe I am extremely sorry. I wanted to kiss you but I didn't know if you wanted to kiss me, I should've asked-"

"You're a great guy Tyler. But I think it's safe to say we were caught up in the moment."

He nodded. "I still don't want this to ruin us, though. You're an incredible person Maya. I want to keep you for as long as you stay. Maybe we can hang out? We can go to the movies?"

She shook her head no. "I'm sorry. My mom just came home and we already made plans."

He nodded and looked straight ahead.

"I should go. You probably have places to be."

Maya nodded and stepped out of his car. Once she was about to close the door, she ducked down and stared at him. "You should talk to her. The girl you like, tell her how you feel. Fifty bucks, she feels the same way."

He smiled, "I might just take you up on that bet."

Maya watched him drive away and once she couldn't see his car anymore, she let all the tears fall.

 _Just another you._

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 **A/N: This was my first time writing Maya and I actually enjoyed it. And before you hate me, know that Tyler plays an important part in this story. A part that has yet to be revealed but part of it has been unmasked, you just need to piece the pieces together. As for Riley and Lucas, they will have a downfall. One that I am still currently trying to piece together. I have mostly everything planned, it's just putting that into words and leading it to where I want it to go that gets me. But with me luck.**


	17. Time Will Tell

**A/N: For clarification, Maya is 'Chloe' to anyone else besides Riley..and Katy...and her friends. It's part of their plan to break Lucas. But yes, and as much as I don't like to admit, I myself have gotten confused and have made mistakes while writing these chapters. Many of you caught onto it and I apologize. Tyler doesn't know that Chloe is Maya. Hopefully, there wont be any more mistakes. Thank you guys so much for the 100 reviews. This chapter is full of Rucas feels...most of it. I wrote this chapters wanting something different. It's great that Riley and Lucas have become Riley &Lucas but we need something to set them off guard. This is the chapter. You'll see the turn of events. Guest's who plan on reviewing: usernames are a must. **

**amymayy2003: Not for long.**

 **Siennese: Ever since GMW started I've been a Rucas shipper. I always find the original ship to be the one I stick to. But it can change sometimes. I know Maya and Tyler will take time. Basically, everything you said in your review is one hundred percent accurate. That's what happened. It's confusing and I know that. You'll latch onto it eventually. Their relationship is built on secrets and lies...well... at least until the truth comes out.**

 **RucasLover24: Note to self: re-read every single damn chapter before updating. The embarrassment. But in my defense, these chapters were written around two months ago. I am free to make mistakes. But expect the minimum amount from now on. Hope you like this chapter just as much as the previous one.**

 **naelacy: Your predictions are reasonable. And Friday has arrived.**

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 _I want you to know that it's our time_  
 _You and me bleed the same light_  
 _I want you to know that I'm all yours_  
 _You and me we're the same force_  
 _I want you to know that it's our time_  
 _You and me bleed the same light_  
 _I want you to know that I'm all yours_  
 _You and me run the same course_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Maya leaned back in her seat and smiled as she stared at Tyler's phone. She was happy to finally have finished the collage he asked her to do. She was surprised to see how detailed it turned out. She was so focused and proud with the way it turned out she didn't realize his car was on_ park _._

 _"Sorry," Maya said once her eyes darted in his direction only to see him smiling._

 _"Don't worry about it. You look cute when you're focused."_

 _"Here. I think it's one of my best ones," Maya handed Tyler the phone. She didn't catch a reaction from him, but the way his lips spread said it all._

 _Tyler found himself staring at the many pictures he took when they rode on the Yacht or when they were at the party. The first picture on the collage was taken by Zay. Tyler and Riley had jumped from the Yacht onto the water. The picture was taken once they were in the air and Tyler was in the middle of a backflip while Riley was doing the splits. His eyes moved to the one in the middle, a picture of what seemed to be Maya being pulled back by a strong pair of hands that belonged to him. Seconds before the picture was taken, a slim brunette had passed Maya and uttered the word, "Whore."_

 _Maya was down right ready to pull the girl by the hair and drag her ass back, but Tyler heard her and did his best to stop her. He knew that the one drink he gave her influenced her actions. All he could do was smile. The picture had great lighting and Maya's expression was quite amusing, he had to have Zay take more pictures of them. "I love it," Tyler finally said._

 _Maya smiled and stared at him once more, "If you don't like the picture of us I can change it-"_

 _"No. It's the best one," he turned his phone off. "I also forgot to tell you we're here."_

 _"Oh. Sorry," Maya said as she sat up._

 _"Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "Thank you, again, for not only making the collage but for coming. I wouldn't have had this much fun if it wasn't for you."_

 _A short silence fell between them as an Adele song played in the back. Maya didn't know if it was the sway of the music or the way his words came out, but she was compelled to press her lips against his. Once Tyler noticed this movement, he helped pull Maya closer. Soon after, their lips moved to the sway of the song. All Maya could comprehend was that now she was kissing Tyler and regret was far from her mind._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"We start off with toe touches, jumping jacks, ankle hops, squats, and judging from your appearance you do a lot of those, lunges, push-ups, wall sits, -"_

 _"Any day now," Riley asked, growing impatient._

 _"See, now I lost track."_

 _"Good. Now we can start."_

 _Lucas began his stretch and Riley followed his example. Seconds later, they moved onto their next one. They continue doing various stretches until Lucas gestures for her to stand. "This is where it get's a little more difficult."_

 _"How?"_

 _"I can do about one-hundred and thirty sit-ups in under five minutes. I say you can do around seventy non-stop."_

 _"Sounds about right," Riley informed. Lucas walked to the long mirror on the wall and picked up a mat, he placed it on the floor and gestured for her to lay on it._

 _"We're going to see how many you can do in one minute," Lucas informed. "Ready...," she nodded. "Go."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"Is this the part where you murder me?" Riley questioned as she gazed out the window. She didn't know where Lucas was taking her and it didn't necessarily look comforting.

Lucas chuckled and turned to face her, with his piercing green eyes fixated on Riley, his gaze fell on her lips. "Trust me, you're not getting murdered. Well, at least not tonight. And even though our surroundings don't look soothing, where I'm taking you...will say otherwise."

Ten minutes passed and Lucas finally stopped his truck. Riley looked to her right. A beautiful coat of crocus flowers planted over a large grassy meadow came to view. A yellow blanket and picnic basket rested amidst lush green trees and as her feet touched the gravel Riley turned to Lucas. "You did this?"

"You gotta stop with the questions," he smiled.

"I'll only if you answer them," Riley smiled and took his hand, "Who knew you could such a hopeless romantic?"

"You just can't tell anyone. You'll ruin my street cred."

Riley rolled her eyes before she sat on the blanket.

"Now I know you're not interested in wine or any other expensive drinks, so I present to you, Hawaiian Punch - your favorite."

He poured the punch in a wine shaped glass and while doing so, Lucas winked at her.

"Okay my Prince Charming, what else is in the basket?"

"Nothing much Princess, just homemade sandwiches."

"What kind do they happen to be?"

"The usual," he answered. "Cheese and ham."

Riley clapped. "For dessert?"

He looked up at Riley and smirked. When her eyes met his Lucas winked. Riley knew what he was insinuating, but she arched a brow.

"You don't get it?" he questioned.

"No, I do."

Seeing she wasn't exactly pleased, Lucas pulled out a container filled with chocolate covered strawberries.

The way she lit up only radiated warmth and a heavy gain of libido.

"What?" Riley questioned.

"Nothing," he said immediately. "Nothing," he took out a sandwich and placed it in front of him. Getting ready to take a bite, Lucas felt a pair of daggers fall on him. "What?"

"Where's mine?"

"Where's my kiss?"

"Oh really?"

He nodded.

Riley stared at him and tried to maintain a straight face, but he was too cute to be mad at. She really did want that kiss just as much as she wanted that sandwich. She could've easily shook her head no and not eat for the rest of the time but she couldn't get over the fact that a guy as handsome as Lucas, wanted a kiss from her. Leaning in, Lucas didn't hesitate to kiss her. She was taken by surprise but as time settled in Riley found herself loving it even more.

Lucas was the first one to pull away, "Here's your sandwich."

"Why thank you. I deserve this sandwich just as much as you deserve me."

Lucas laughed. And it wasn't just a light laugh, no, it was a full on laugh. Like a seven-second laugh. She mentally hated herself for liking it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she questioned, giving him a slight push.

Lucas took another bite from his sandwich. "Is it possible you're already enjoying yourself?"

"Possibly," Riley answered.

A silence fell upon them merely because Lucas was swallowing a bite he took from his sandwich. Riley observed him for a few seconds before she was finally able to break the silence, "My dad cheated on my mom."

He looked at her and swallowed the lump of food, he was caught off guard and he didn't know what to say. Let alone how to comfort her. For seconds he debated on whether saying _I'm sorry_ or asking _what?_ He finally settled for, "How do you know?"

"I caught him," she answered his query. "I had my suspicions at first, but what really answered my question was a text message he got. He even abbreviated her name to Ms. H."

"What did the text say?"

"'What we did was a mistake'" she informed him. "He doesn't even know I know. It's been four years and I have no clue if he's still with her or if he's ended things..."

"Do you know who _she_ is?"

When Riley nodded Lucas laced his hands within hers, Riley breathed, "My English teacher."

"Confront the bitch," he said.

Riley laughed, "I can't. My mom..."

That changed his mind. Lucas didn't know Riley's mother but he knew that the news would devastate her.

"She loves him and I love her. I don't know what I would do if she ever found out."

"Hey, Riley..."

"Yeah?" she turned to him.

"Did I ever tell you're the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on?"

Riley felt a tear run down her cheek and down to her arm.

"Didn't help, did it?"

"No it did," she answered. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

Lucas acknowledged the warmth their hands radiated and not once had he had that connection with any other girl. "We're getting too comfortable with each other..."

"We are, but I don't mind it unless you do."

"I don't mind," he wiped the trail of tears.

"Okay," she laughed. "Change of subject."

"Right," he nodded. "Chocolate covered strawberry?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Riley took the strawberry from his hand and bit the tip.

"So, Prince Charming, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

He shook his head no, "You'll only laugh."

"I will not. I'll only laugh if you want to be a _professional womanizer._ "

"No. A veterinarian."

"The ones that work with animals?"

"Yeah. It's stupid, I know-"

"It's not, Lucas. You have no idea how many women are interested in dating a doctor."

"Are you one of them?" he asked staring fondly into her eyes.

"Time will tell."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Night fell on the two and Lucas couldn't think of a better way to end their date. He scrunched his face at the word and decided to call it a 'gathering.' He figured it would be perfect for the two to take a romantic walk through the park. White lights adorned the pathway they followed and Lucas couldn't think of a way to start a conversation. He hated this feeling because this was so new to him, normally he would just flirt his way into a girls heart and claim his prize by getting what he initially wanted. But Riley was so different. She looked like the type of girl he'd chase after, but she was completely different. Normally the girl would want the attention, she'd make her best efforts to get laid and possibly want for it to happen, but Riley didn't seek that type of attention.

He starred at her chocolate oriented eyes and smiled, "You're cold."

"Lil bit," she answered.

Lucas immediately took off his leather jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

"You don't have to do this. I've walked through worse."

"I'm not doing this out of courtesy, Riley. And I'm not cold."

She smiled.

Just then his phone rang, he brought it out of his front pockets and stared wide at the screen. "Uh...I have to take this, do you mind?."

"Go ahead-"

"I'll be back, I promise."

A smile spread over Riley's lips as she pulled the jacket a bit closer to herself. It smelled of him. She hadn't been on a date in a long time and this beat the many dates she went on with Sorrell. Just as she took out her phone Riley felt a strong pair of hands wrap around her waist, she smiled at first, but that smile faded once she heard the man's voice.

"Hey, gorgeous."

Riley pushed herself away from the man's grasp and looked at him, he was overweight and drunk. He didn't smell legal and the way he snorted only answered Riley's question. "Who are you?"

"No one," he answered. "You know it's dangerous to be lurking the streets this late at night all alone."

"Who said I'm alone?"

He laughed, "Where are your friends then?"

"He'll be back.

"He?" the man questioned. "Is this friend your boyfriend."

"Possibly," Riley answered. She took one step back.

The man took one step forward. "So where is he now?"

"That's none of your business."

"Could there be a chance he doesn't exist," the man nearly growled. "I don't like liars."

Riley quietly dialed Lucas' number but the man took notice, he managed to take the phone away from her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Please give it back."

"Where are you heading?" he asked.

"None of your business," fear was evident in her words, but the way her words projected sounded nowhere near fear. "Now give it back."

"Fiesty now aren't you?" As silence took over, Riley placed her hands in Lucas jacket. She was scared of the man. As her hands slid into the left pocket of the jacket Riley felt something. She didn't know what it was but it was something she could use in case she had to defend herself. Riley stared back at the man and just then he charged at her, she tried to scream, she tried to run away but her wishes weren't granted. His cold hand landed on her forearm but before the man could do anything else, he was pulled back.

Her sharp intake of breath was all she could hear before Lucas started punching the man. Two punches to the man's temple were enough to knock him out cold, but Lucas didn't stop there. He continued to hit the man and by the time Riley heard the sixth punch she called his name. He didn't seem to hear her and by the time he could get the eighth punch in, Riley grasped his hand in order to stop him. "Lucas!"

He turned to face her and for the first time, Riley was truly scared of him. He had the look of pure hatred for the man, his jaw clenched as he unclenched his own fist. He picked up her phone and let Riley guide him out the park.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Lucas stopped walking once they reached his truck and Riley turned to face him. She leaned her back against the driver's door as Lucas closed the space between them to look at her arm. "Did he do this?"

"It doesn't hurt. I'm fine."

He looked at her and released a guilt filled sigh. "I shouldn't have left you alone-"

"I'm fine, Lucas." her voice was firm and cohere. "Can you just take me home?"

His jaw clenched once more and normally Riley would be attracted to this, but from what had happened before, she didn't want to see him or the guy that had tried to hurt her. He nodded and Riley walked towards the passenger's side of the door, she opened it and hopped in.

As Lucas drove her home, Riley slid her hand into the left pocket of his jacket and pulled out what was in her hands. She couldn't quite see what it was, but as light passed them, Riley's eyes widened.

She looked at him and then back at the object in her hand. Now the only question she could think of was: why the hell did Lucas have a pocket knife in his jacket?

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Now why would Lucas be caring around such a thing? What will happen to Riley &Lucas? _Time will tell_. They are your best hints. Please let me know what you think, reviews are a must. And I did not want to make Corey seem like the bad father and husband, but this is a story. Not a real life situation. **


	18. Make Things Right

**A/N: While my spring break is almost coming to an end, don't think for one second that I idled my time doing nothing. Guys, I am almost done writing the _last_ two chapters. I honestly don't know what I am going to do afterwards. Sequel? I don't know. As i'm writing this, I already have the first half of chapt. 32 written which is about 2,000 + words. Wish me luck. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and review. **

**amymayy2003: That would've been a smart idea. But that last part was sort of planned. I wanted Lucas to defend Riley, but that means showing a side of him that she doesn't know of.**

 **Siennese: The second half of the chapter wasn't even supposed to exist. It came to me last minute because I wanted to throw Riley &Lucas off guard. What other way to do that by making Lucas angry? Eight punches was extreme, especially if the guy was out by the second or third punch. Who knows if Lucas envisioned the man as his father? Maybe. Writing the chapter I wanted Riley to really be thrown off by Lucas. First off seeing him punch someone else in an extreme matter, the second taking out a knife from his jacket. It was supposed to scare her. **

**KillEmWithKindness02: Who does the guy think he is? Lol. He really didn't know what he was up against.**

 **SGIM: It's a mess, we all know. But they'll get through it.**

 **Guest: Yes, updates come every Friday's.**

 **naelacy: Hmmm...so many questions indeed. Lucas and Riley weren't in a sketchy part of town. They were in Central Park. The guy was there at the wrong time. As for who called Lucas at the time; that will be revealed in the next chapters. It'll be in a subtle way. But you'll know. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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 _Tyler found himself staring at the many pictures he took when they rode on the Yacht or when they were at the party. The first picture on the collage was taken by Zay. Tyler and Riley had jumped from the Yacht onto the water. The picture was taken once they were in the air and Tyler was in the middle of a backflip while Riley was doing the splits. His eyes moved to the one in the middle, a picture of what seemed to be Maya being pulled back by a strong pair of hands that belonged to him. Seconds before the picture was taken, a slim brunette had passed Maya and uttered the word, "Whore."_

 _Maya was down right ready to pull her by the hair and drag her ass back, but Tyler heard her and did his best to stop Maya. He knew that the one drink he gave her influenced her actions. All he could do was smile. The picture had great lighting and Maya's expression was quite amusing, he had to have Zay take more pictures of them. "I love it," Tyler finally said._

 _Maya smiled and stared at him once more, "If you don't like the picture of us I can change it-"_

 _"No. It's the best one," he turned his phone off. "I also forgot to tell you we're here."_

 _"Oh. Sorry," Maya said as she sat up._

 _"Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "Thank you, again, for not only making the collage but for coming. I wouldn't have had this much fun if it wasn't for you."_

 _A short silence fell between them as an Adele song played in the back. Maya didn't know if it was the sway of the music or the way his words came out, but she was compelled to press her lips against his. Once Tyler noticed this movement, he helped pull Maya closer. Soon after, their lips moved to the sway of the song. All Maya could comprehend was that now she was kissing Tyler and regret was far from her mind._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Maya could hear her heart breaking. Her mind freezing, only concentrating on his choice of words. It was a mistake. "Yeah." She quickly agreed. "I had a feeling I came onto you to strong."_

 _"No, that wasn't at all what I meant. I wanted to kiss you, but when I did..."_

 _It wasn't what you wanted._

 _"...I realized I had feelings for somebody else."_

 _"Oh," she said softly._

 _"Chloe I am extremely sorry. I wanted to kiss you but I didn't know if you wanted to kiss me, I should've asked-"_

 _"You're a great guy Tyler. But I think it's safe to say we were caught up in the moment."_

 _He nodded. "I still don't want this to ruin us, though. You're an incredible person Maya. I want to keep you for as long as you stay. Maybe we can hang out? We can go to the movies?"_

 _She shook her head no. "I'm sorry. My mom just came home and we already made plans."_

 _He nodded and looked straight ahead._

 _"I should go. You probably have places to be."_

 _Maya nodded and stepped out of his car. Once she was about to close the door, she ducked down and stared at him. "You should talk to her. The girl you like, tell her how you feel. Fifty bucks, she feels the same way."_

 _He smiled, "I might just take you up on that bet."_

 _Maya watched him drive away and once she couldn't see his car anymore, she let all the tears fall._

 _Just another you._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Maya scoffs. "You're starting to like him."_

 _"Am not."_

 _"Are too," she responds. "And after all this time..." a tear rolls down her cheek, "You know I saw you as my sister. I thought that maybe if you broke his heart it would make our bond stronger, I was wrong."_

 _Riley didn't say anything._

 _"If you don't like him like you say you do, then start breaking him. It's been a long time, how long does it take Lucas Friar to fall in love?" Maya walked passed Riley and nudged her along the way._

 _Riley didn't know if she was ready to finally put an end to Lucas. And to be honest with him about the reasons she was with him all this time. Could she do it?_

 _She didn't know._

 _But instead of asking if she could do it...she should be asking if she would do it._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Lucas stopped walking once they reached his truck and Riley turned to face him. She leaned her back against the driver's door as Lucas closed the space between them to look at her arm. "Did he do this?"_

 _"It doesn't hurt. I'm fine."_

 _He looked at her and released a guilt filled sigh. "I shouldn't have left you alone-"_

 _"I'm fine, Lucas." her voice was firm and cohere. "Can you just take me home?"_

 _His jaw clenched once more and normally Riley would be attracted to this, but from what had happened before, she didn't want to see him or the guy that had tried to hurt her. He nodded and Riley walked towards the passenger's side of the door, she opened it and hopped in._

 _As Lucas drove her home, Riley slid her hand into the left pocket of his jacket and pulled out what was in her hands. She couldn't quite see what it was, but as light passed them, Riley's eyes widened._

 _She looked at him and then back at the object in her hand. Now the only question she could think of was: why the hell did Lucas have a pocket knife in his jacket?_

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 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"Hey, Riley. It's um...it's Lucas. I just wanted to call and say," he sighed. "I'm sorry, for the way I acted. I didn't mean to scare you I just wanted to protect you. Please, please, please, please call me back. I lo-," he stopped. "I'm sorry."_

Lucas ended the call and sighed. He threw the phone on his bed and punched the counter in his bathroom, steam covered his mirror as he'd just gotten out of the shower. He couldn't stand looking at himself, it would only remind him of the look Riley gave him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed once more. The one relationship he truly cared about is at stake. This was the first time he felt bad for a mistake he made and it wasn't because of his guilt nor the mess that came out of it, but the look Riley gave him.

He knew he was being ignored and he hated it. He wanted to talk to her, to get her alone in a room and talk, that's all, that's all he needed. But he also needed to respect her wishes. He had only called her five times in the past day, but now as night approached, he knew he wasn't gonna sleep easily with the guilt eating inside him. So he accepted Farkle's invitation to a party.

It went well at first, but that was before he started drinking. He drank more than he intended to and the rest of the night seemed to be a blur.

He met and old friend and ran into an ex. The old friend seemed to be Farkle's current best friend and the ex, well, she was still the same annoying ex. She must've mistaken his, "I'm not into you" or "I have a girlfriend" (even though that one was a lie, he hoped it would have an effect. He was wrong.) for "We should have sex" or "Did you bring the marijuana?"

He wasn't in the right state of mind to tell her no, one more word out of her mouth and he would be yelling at her. So Lucas sauntered towards Farkle, "Hey, I should go home. I'm not really feeling it."

Farkle had to hold onto Lucas to prevent him from falling, "Lucas you said you wouldn't drink. You were our DD."

Lucas scoffed, "You're gonna graduate in the top ten and you aren't smart enough to trust me?"

Farkle pinched the bridge of his nose, "I can't drive-"

"I'll drive," his friend offered. "I only drank a beer."

"Great, umm...?"

" _Sorrell_ ," the friend answered. "Names _Sorrell_."

"Good," Lucas was going to shake his hand but he nearly fell from his stance. "Now if I can just find my keys-"

Farkle sighed, "If you tell me you lost them, I swear to God, I will personally-"

"Shh," Lucas shushed. "Relax man. I got this."

He walked back to his place and by a miracle, he managed to make his way up the stairs. "There they are." As he walked towards them, Lucas suddenly felt himself fall onto the couch. What caught him by surprise what that it wasn't on purpose, he was pushed. As he turned to look at the person who did this, he only saw his ex-straddle him.

"Leaving so soon?"

He scoffed, "I have to go, _Missy_."

"All we need is twenty minutes," she informed. "C'mon. It's nothing we haven't done before."

"You're right. But then again, you were just a lousy lay." He pushed her off and walked down the stairs, nearly tumbling down the remaining three steps, Sorrell took the keys from Lucas' hands. "Yeah, we should go. That was a close one."

"Just lead the way."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"All right, honey. What's the matter?" Katy asked Riley as she sat next to her. Riley currently looked out Maya's bay window and watched the moon rise. She hadn't been able to leave the room ever since Lucas brought her back from their so-called date.

"I'm fine, Katy," Riley informed.

"No way in hell am I gonna believe that lie. I've known you since you were in diapers, baby girl. You're like a daughter to me, so tell me what's wrong."

Riley smiled and looked down at her hands. "I think I'm making a mistake."

"Care to explain?"

Riley sighed, "I think I'm starting to have feelings for someone."

"That's not so bad," Katy said as she sat down next to her. "I mean you're seventeen. At seventeen I was already...never mind."

"I like Maya's ex."

"The one that broke her heart?"

"Lucas." Riley nodded.

"Honey-"

"I know. He was an asshole to Maya, but he's nowhere near there when I'm with him. He's actually a really nice guy and I don't know if I should tell Maya or if I shouldn't at all..."

"Riley, you need to keep in mind that you're only here for a few more weeks. Is starting a relationship a good idea?"

"I know. But he's a great guy. Just yesterday he saved me from a man in the park that tried to hurt me-"

"What-?"

"And despite his hostile reaction, he wanted to know if I was okay. And to make matters worse, I think he feels the way about me."

"Well, that's some story," Katy sighed. "You're old enough to make your own decisions, don't make the wrong ones. Do you trust him?"

"I don't know anymore."

"Why would that be?"

"Because of what he did yesterday. It was so unlike him. He doesn't even act like it, that's why I was so surprised."

"Why don't you talk to him? I don't think you'll find any answers here." They looked around the room.

"That's what I'm trying to avoid, talking to him."

"You wanna make things right...?"

She nodded, "I don't want to never talk to him again."

"Then give yourself time. When you're ready, you'll talk and he'll listen. If he says everything you want in an apology, he's a keeper."

"Thanks Katy," Riley leaned in to hug her. "I really needed someone to talk to."

"But can you keep this between us? I'm not ready to tell Maya."

She nodded, "Lips are sealed.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Not exactly the best chapter but two new characters were revealed. One of them has had mentions and the other, bleh. If the names sounded familiar it's because you've heard them before. Sorrell is Riley's ex and now he's in New York with Farkle. Which is why Farkle knew about Riley and Sorrell, because they know each other. Does that make sense? I hope it does. Missy is Lucas' ex. And you will be hearing a lot of Missy in the next few chapters. Complications in the story is what this is all about. As I said before: the story won't focus on Riley trying to break Lucas. It will focus on their relationship and things trying to get in the way of that. Thank you so much for reading.**

 **P.S I HIGHLY encourage you to watch 13 Reasons Why on Netflix. It's an amazing show that is so important and applies to teenagers. How one lie can ruin someone's reputation. I'm barely on the first episode but if I could recommmend it, hell i'd give you a 10,000%. This show is so amazing. I didn't read the book, but when I heard Selena Gomez speak about it and why she decided to start this series is so authentic. I only started following her steps until after she got out of rehab and it's truly amazing how she is not only able to translate her feelings though music, but though a Netflix series. It's beyond beautiful. **

**So all I really ask of you is to watch the show. Watch it all. You'll be amazed.**


	19. Grand Night

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews. If this chapter wasn't published Friday hopefully this chapter is published Saturday. I am writing this to you on April Fools Day, and no it is not a joke. But on April 7th I am supposed to travel somewhere, so don't be mad.**

 **naelacy: The purpose of having Riley open up to Lucas about her past abusive relationship, and even using that particular plot is because Sorrell was going to be in this story. For a little amount of time. How do you think Farkle knew about Sorrell? Because they are friends. Missy is practically the same in every story. And yeah, Riley lives in LA, Maya lives in a town in New York. That town is fictional and relates to Mystic Falls [The Vampire Diaries]. I have drawn a lot of inspiration from that show.**

 **violet1429: The reason why Lucas became that person has yet to be revealed. Is it soon? Maybe. And yes, Farkle knows Riley's ex.**

 **amymayy2003: I am literally trying to stay away from spoilers. Hopefully by the time this chapter is up I will be completely done with the series.**

 **volleyballer82: Thank you so much for reading. It only gets better from here.**

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

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"It's called Grand Night," Maya informed. "An annual celebration where we turn off all our town's lights and fire up lanterns."

"Sort of like a festival?"

"Yeah, but we also celebrate the night on behalf of our founding fathers. It started around a hundred and twenty years ago. So, ya interested?"

Riley sighed as she placed her finished plate in the sink. She hasn't been in the mood to go anywhere ever since she's been trying to avoid Lucas. "I don't know. What time does it start?"

"Around eight, once the sun's fully down. But I'm gonna leave in a few hours, I volunteered to help set up at the park. Are you in?"

"Yeah," Riley said. "Sure, why not?"

"Great. It can also be a great time to introduce you to my friends."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"Okay, so here in WaterLake the mayor is usually the one in charge of Grand Night. She also has this historical preceptor who gives a ten-minute speech in hopes of educating us in our town's history, but no one really listens to that. Then we light the lanterns, send them off into the sky and watch them go. There's also some food stands nearby."

Riley smiled, "I wish they did stuff like this back home."

They stopped walking, "So those are my friends over there. You wanna know their names before you meet them?"

Riley shook her head, "I want a proper introduction."

"Oh my God, Maya," Shelly, a dark skinned, fairly slim girl said as she noticed Maya walking towards them. "Girl, you've been MIA ever since school ended. Where you at?"

"Hey, Shelly," Maya hugged her.

Two other girls approached them and stood behind Shelly, "Told you she was alive," a brunette with a black halter top and evident luscious curls said as she looked at the girl next to her.

The girl next to her was Hispanic and had a resting bitch face which intimidated Riley at first. She had all the right curves in all the right places and a sharp jawline that can cut.

 _Okay, so don't fuck with her._

"Mia, Vicky, Shelly, this is my friend from California. Riley Eleanor Matthews. She has seven hundred and eighteen Instagram followers, enjoys watching ROM-COMS, can binge watch two seasons of Pretty Little Liars in one sitting, wants to be an attorney like her mother and has managed to capture Lucas Friar's attention-"

"Ah," she laughed shyly. "That's not what I meant by 'a proper introduction' Maya."

"Wait hold on, Lucas Friar's attention?" Vicky questioned. "Dios Mio."

"W-what does that mean?"

"My God," Mia answered. "It's how she expresses wary, or fear. I can never tell."

"And does he know you're Maya's friend?" Shelly asked. Shelly was the only girl in their group that was friends with Lucas. How? That is a question the rest of them are trying to figure out.

"Guys, honestly, I don't care. Lucas and I are so done and plus, Riley hasn't talked to him since."

"Good. Stay away from him. He's bad news."

"Not necessarily," Shelly answered. "I just wouldn't think it'd be smart to be in a relationship with him."

"No. I would never."

Mia took out her phone after she felt it vibrate and scoffed once she read the message.

"Listen, girl, I can talk to him," Shelly suggested.

"No. No, you'll only send him to the nearest hospital."

Shelly tossed her hair back for dramatic effect, "Well, then," she smiled with pride.

"Thank you guys," the mayor began. Riley averted her attention to the woman standing in the back of the podium on a stage up ahead, "For joining us and volunteering to help. We are truly grateful. And thanks to Mr. Barnes, our towns historic, for bringing us delicious goods. So knock yourselves out."

"If you don't mind me," Shelly and Vicky informed as they walked towards the pastries.

"Seriously, they are so alike it frightens me." Riley and Maya laughed, "Hey can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure."

"Oh and Riley, sorry for saying this, but can you take that box and store it right next to the pile of boxes over there?"

Riley looked at the stack of boxes placed just outside the entrance to the male's bathroom, she nodded. "That's fine."

"Okay. Thank you, you're a doll."

As Riley and Mia walked in the opposite direction, Riley picked up the box and sauntered towards the bathroom. The box wasn't heavy, but it was big enough to block her peripheral vision. She couldn't even see what was inside.

"Oh here, I can take that," a man's voice came about. Suddenly Riley felt the box lighten and soon enough it wasn't in her hands.

"Thank you so much," Riley thanked. "Just set it down, yeah, there, nice. Thank you."

"No problem." His gaze fell on Riley and his smile widened. "Oh, wow. Hey."

"Hi."

The man had light brown eyes and cheekbones. Hair pulled back with a single strand falling onto his forehead. He wore joggers and a nice blue shirt that showed enough muscle to be considered lean. His voice was hoarse yet soothing in a way that intrigued Riley.

"What's your name?"

"Riley," she answered. "And yours?"

"Aaron," he took out his hands and gestured for a handshake. Riley obliged by shaking his hand and smiling. "So, are you from here?"

"No, actually. I'm from California, just here visiting a friend."

"Really? How ironic? I'm actually going there in a couple of weeks."

"That's good news. Again, thank you-"

"That's fine. You looked like you needed the help," he chuckled.

"Yeah, well I'm not really associated with healthy."

He laughed and Riley smiled. "You're coming to the festival?"

"Yeah, my friend Maya thought it would be a perfect night for me to get to know the town. It's rather beautiful."

"It is. How long will you be staying?"

"A few more weeks."

"Wonderful."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Lucas ran past the fountain, past the soccer field, picnic tables, playground and the pond just to get to where he has. He had pushed his limit and decided to run three miles. He was desperate for a distraction because all he could think about was the look Riley gave him. It still hurt to see her like that and he didn't want to call her.

He was ignored the past five times and he didn't want to come off as annoying. But he did want to know if she was okay, which quite frankly surprised him. He's never cared what anyone has to think of him, but when it came to Riley he was unsure.

The running was meant to ensure a healthy state of mind, he wanted to be relaxed. But that thought didn't last long.

As he rounded the corner, body sweating, feet aching and music blasting loud enough he could hardly emerge a thought, he was shocked to see Riley. Yes, she was beautiful and gorgeous without the makeup but that wasn't what caught him off guard. It was the fact that she was talking to another guy, a good looking guy at that.

He breathed in hopes of controlling his anger and jealousy. Then he approached them.

"Wonderful," the guy had said.

"Yeah, I just haven't-Lucas?" Riley asked as she saw him standing right next to her. Correction, a shirtless Lucas standing right next to her.

"Yeah?" His eyes were strictly on Aaron, his clenched jaw was clearly a sign he wasn't happy with who was in front of him.

This was what Riley feared, running into him.

"Is he your boyfriend-?"

"Not yet-"

"No," Riley stated as she stood in front of Lucas. She eyed him for wanting to say something like that.

Aaron chuckled, "I'll see you around then."

"Yeah. See you around."

Riley turned around to face him, his gaze was still on Aaron but it would soon be on her. She thought of what she could do to him at the moment, kick him, slap the shit out of him, etc. But when his gaze fell on Riley the anger subsided.

"He just a friend, right?"

"I can't believe you, Lucas. What was all this for?"

"What do you mean what was it for? You've been ignoring me-"

"Yeah, I wonder why," she chastised. "Like you haven't done anything."

"Why are you so angry? All I did was punch him a few times, and the asshole deserved it."

"I'm not mad at you for hitting him, I'm mad because you wouldn't stop. And you probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for me."

He sighed because she was right. He didn't know when he would've stopped, maybe after his nose was all jacked up. "Can we talk, some place else?"

"I'm a little busy-"

"Then we'll talk in a few hours. At the festival, our first date."

Riley scoffed and looked at him. She was surprised when she didn't feel the urge to look at his body, his well defined, smooth, warming, body.

 _SHIT!_

"Fine. We'll talk, but you got some explaining to do...and it's not a date."

"Whatever you want, Princess."

Riley walked away and Lucas continued with his jog, feeling better than he had before.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Night had approached and Riley found herself staring into the mirror. She wasn't sure about her outfit but she liked it and it felt comfortable. Rocking dark blue skinny jeans and a gray cashmere sweater with a tight ponytail, Riley sighed.

"You look nice," Maya said as she walked in the room. She placed her makeup bag inside her closet and sauntered towards her vanity.

"It's good to finally see you without all the heavy makeup," Riley advised. "Suits you."

Maya could only smile. "Before we go, you should know there's going to be a lot of obnoxious high schoolers. Some will be freshman, and most of them will be the seniors. Just stick with us and you'll be fine. Promise?"

"Promise," Riley assured.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

It was a cold night for mid-June and just as Maya had warned, there were many high schoolers present. Some drank discretely will others tried to sober up by eating food, but from the looks of it, the food wasn't helping.

She met some new people in Maya's circle and saw Tyler a few times, but Lucas was nowhere to be seen. Riley didn't put much thought into it, she did although feel dumb for hoping he'd show up.

Just then her phone rang and Lucas was the one calling, she took a deep breath and answered the phone. "So you do stay true to your words."

"Thought I'd ditch my very own princess?"

"Had a feeling," Riley muttered as she looked around. "Where are you?"

"Not where you are, but I was hoping you'd walk here."

"And why would you do that?"

"You know that place we stopped after we ran together for the first time?" Lucas asked. "If you walk a little further down left there's a gazebo, I'm standing right here as we speak."

"Okay."

"The park isn't far from there."

"Got it," Riley hung up.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

He wasn't lying. There he stood, in a black coat and dark jeans with boots. As Riley stepped onto the gazebo Lucas' attention immediately turned to her and a smile crept on his lips.

"Thought you wouldn't show up," Lucas admitted. She did take a while to get there.

"You're partially right. I am still mad at you for what you did."

"And I am still very sorry you had to see that," he confessed. "You look good."

She scoffed, "Wish I could say the same."

He nodded understanding the compliment wasn't enough for her forgiveness. "You're still mad."

"Of course, I am."

"Then what do you want me to say? I'm sorry?"

"Yes," Riley spoke. "That's exactly what you need to say. I don't wanna hear your sorrow for beating up a guy-"

"Who deserved it," he continued for her, his voice so loud it shocked Riley. "He tried to hurt you."

"But he didn't."

Now it was Lucas turn to scoff. "Whether he didn't hurt you or tried to hurt you, he still came onto you. I don't see any other reason to punch him."

"I'm not mad you because you hit him. I'm mad because you wouldn't stop, even after I called your name."

He turned his back on Riley and leaned his forearms on the railings. "I'm not going to apologize if that's what you want. He wanted to hurt you."

"Fine," Riley gave up. "Then don't."

"Thank you-"

"But you have to tell me why you were carrying a knife?"

His eyes closed for a few seconds, "You saw it-"

"I did."

"Riley, I don't think that's your business-"

"You don't think it's my business? I went on a date with you. For all I know, you could've used it to hurt me."

"That's bullshit!" he scoffed. "To hurt you?" Once Riley didn't say anything, Lucas didn't know what to say either. For the first minute of tranquility Riley had hope Lucas would tell her, but when his eyes wouldn't meet hers...she gave up.

"I'll see you around, Lucas."

"Hey," he called out to her. She wouldn't stop walking so he called her again. "Hey," he reached for her hand and once he did, he pulled her towards him. "Don't get angry with me."

"I want to know. And if you plan on seeing me then I suggest you tell me why."

Lucas contemplated for a few short seconds. It wasn't late when he realized she deserved to know. "I didn't know I had it in that jacket, Riley. It's stupid and...I just, I've had it for so long. I felt like I could protect someone if it was on me. When my mother and I left Texas and came here, I wanted to protect her from my dad. I didn't mean to scare you."

She stared into his eyes and nodded. She liked that he had it for protection towards his own mother, and not for harming anyone. "You could've told me."

"I know," he nodded.

"You can trust me, Lucas. You know that, right?"

"I do. Now can we just forget this ever happened and head back to the festival?"

Riley stared into his eyes before she nodded. Part of her could tell he was frustrated that she would think something like that and part of her could tell that he was hurt. They walked back towards the festival in an awkward manner. The walk was long.

She intended to try and talk to him, but what could they talk about? Anything to get past the fact she accused him of hurting her.

When they finally got to the festival and were surrounded by their friends, Riley found herself getting comfortable with Lucas again. They'd steal glances at each other and laugh when their eyes met and for once Riley felt like she could forget about the past.

She stood next to Lucas as he held a lantern in his hands.

"This is a really beautiful tradition," she told him.

"It's only beautiful because you're standing right next to me," he told her. Riley smiled at the fact that his eyes never left her's the whole time.

"Just release the damn lantern, will ya?"

He chuckled and did as told. Once the lantern had left his hands and ran gracefully into the air, Lucas turned to look at Riley. Their eyes met for a spilt second before they went to the lantern.

He decided not to say anything.

He bit back the words.

 _You're beautiful._

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 **A/N: I initially planned for this chapter to at least be 3,000 words long, but I sort of lost inspiration and decided to end it here. I am so sorry. I know, it needs more but let next chapter make up for that. You won't regret it, Guest's ya'll know what to do.**


	20. Don't Let Her Go

**A/N: This chapter has some foreshadowing, let me know in your reviews what you think is being forshadowed. Thank you guys so much for the reviews they truly mean a lot to me and I'm getting ready to finish this story. I feel like I know how I want it to end, but who knows? Maybe it'll change.**

 **Siennese: Missy is Missy is every GMW fanfic. There's no alcoholic beverage in the world that can get Lucas drunk enough to actually do something with Missy...or is there? ;|  
The purpose of Sorrell wasn't that he was an abusive ex, the only reason he exists is because of what he does in the future chapters. And to answer your wish, this chapters is ALL Rucas FEELS!  
** **This story takes place in a mystical town called WaterLake. WaterLake is in New York but has special traditions. It takes inspiration from Mystic Falls (The Vampire Diaries) and Rosewood from (Pretty Little Liars). Lucas wants to keep Riley in his life for as long as possible.**

 **naelacy: Lucas is a nice guy, genuinely he is. So whatever happens on in the story, that makes him look bad is a lie. Shelly is not important in the story, so no she does not pose a threat to Riley and Lucas.**

 **amymayy2003: Sorrell is coming and he will change Riley &Lucas. **

**Marissa Davis: Lucas and Maya didn't meet this chapter. But will they meet in some other chapter? ;)**

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 _As her hands slid into the left pocket of the jacket Riley felt something. She didn't know what it was but it was something she could use in case she had to defend herself. Riley stared back at the man and just then he charged at her, she tried to scream, she tried to run away but her wishes weren't granted. His cold hand landed on her forearm but before the man could do anything else, he was pulled back._

 _Her sharp intake of breath was all she could hear before Lucas started punching the man. Two punches to the man's temple were enough to knock him out cold, but Lucas didn't stop there. He continued to hit the man and by the time Riley heard the sixth punch she called his name. He didn't seem to hear her and by the time he could get the eighth punch in, Riley grasped his hand in order to stop him. "Lucas!"_

 _He turned to face her and for the first time, Riley was truly scared of him. He had the look of pure hatred for the man, his jaw clenched as he unclenched his own fist. He picked up her phone and let Riley guide him out the park._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"All right, honey. What's the matter?" Katy asked Riley as she sat next to her. Riley currently looked out Maya's bay window and watched the moon rise. She hadn't been able to leave the room ever since Lucas brought her back from their so-called date._

 _"I'm fine, Katy," Riley informed._

 _"No way in hell am I gonna believe that lie. I've known you since you were in diapers, baby girl. You're like a daughter to me, so tell me what's wrong."_

 _Riley smiled and looked down at her hands. "I think I'm making a mistake."_

 _"Care to explain?"_

 _Riley sighed, "I think I'm starting to have feelings for someone."_

 _"That's not so bad," Katy said as she sat down next to her. "I mean you're seventeen. At seventeen I was already...never mind."_

 _"I like Maya's ex."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _She intended to try and talk to him, but what could they talk about? Anything to get past the fact she accused him of hurting her._

 _When they finally got to the festival and were surrounded by their friends, Riley found herself getting comfortable with Lucas again. They'd steal glances at each other and laugh when their eyes met and for once Riley felt like she could forget about the past._

 _She stood next to Lucas as he held a lantern in his hands._

 _"This is a really beautiful tradition," she told him._

 _"It's only beautiful because you're standing right next to me," he told her. Riley smiled at the fact that his eyes never left her's the whole time._

 _"Just release the damn lantern, will ya?"_

 _He chuckled and did as told. Once the lantern had left his hands and ran gracefully into the air, Lucas turned to look at Riley. Their eyes met for a spilt second before they went to the lantern._

 _He decided not to say anything._

 _He bit back the words._

 _You're beautiful._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Riley stood in front Lucas' door. In the time it took to place her knuckles on the door, Riley contemplated her "hellos" to Ms. Wesley. She didn't know what to say to Lucas' mother since she was meeting her for the first time and to say she was nervous wasn't saying much. In fact, she was scared. Despite knowing about 25% of her, Riley had forgotten all the encouraging things Lucas told her.

 _"She already wants to meet you."_

 _"She likes you, there's nothing to worry about."_

 _"My mom says you should come over for dinner."_

Riley had agreed to meet his mom merely because she was sleepy and Lucas' chest was warm and soft. She was dosing off into a sleep but Lucas wouldn't stop talking. She rolled her eyes and finally said "yes", and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep. The next day Lucas had already planned the night for her and she couldn't just say "no", so she agreed to do it.

Which leads her here. Staring at his nice borano door, wanting to press her knuckles against the chic design. She wore a stylish knee-length, floral dress which fit perfectly with the weather. Her hair was curled and pushed back so her collarbone would show, she titivated her hair and took a deep breath.

 _Knock, knock!_

Not long after did Lucas open the door and smile. He let her in and Riley bit her lip when she noticed how well Lucas' ass looked in those slim tailored khakis. Just then his mom walked in from the right side of the foyer and smiled.

"Mom, this is Riley," a tall woman with brown eyes and chestnut brown hair bound back with a dozen pins, approached her. Before Riley could extend her hand, Lucas' mom had eagerly hugged her.

"She's a hugger," Lucas informed.

Riley could only laugh, "It's nice to finally meet you, Ms. Wesley. I've heard so much about you."

"I am so happy you're here. Lucas speaks well of you. Come. The patio is out here."

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"So, please tell me, how'd you two meet?" Ms. Wesley said as Riley took a seat in front of her. To her left was her son, Lucas and in front of them was a splendid meal their butler prepared.

"Mom," Lucas warned.

"What? Too soon?" she asked, to which Lucas nodded. Her gaze went back to Riley, "I'm sorry. I tend to forget my limits."

"There's no need to apologize Ms. Wesley. You have a well-mannered son."

She smiled. "So, I take it you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Lucas was caught in the process of drinking from his glass, he gulped the liquid down and stared at Riley for a short second. The truth was he didn't know what they were. Sure, they'd made out and have seen parts of each other's bodies friends don't usually see, but that didn't necessarily mean they were boyfriend and girlfriend. After he's had so many artificial relationships, he was ready to settle for a real, honest one. But he doesn't know if that's what Riley wants.

"Actually," she began. Lucas didn't look like he was going to say anything so she decided to step in, "Your son and I are just really good friends."

"Oh-"

"Yeah," she said quickly. She inhaled the smell of the various plates arranged in front of her, delicious. "You have a very nice backyard, Ms. Wesley." Riley craned her neck to see the scenery behind her once more. The backyard had a nice Italian style to it, with a pool, a stone fireplace, and a large amount of green grass.

"Thank you. We have wonderful people who work on it. It makes for a nice calm and soothing getaway. Lucas actually spends quite his time on that hammock over there, reading books."

Riley stared at him and smiled, "Which ones?"

He laughed nervously, "I don't think she needs to know that-"

"Oh, you're gonna love this. He reads The Notebook, Dear John, Pride & Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird-"

"Mom," Lucas warned.

"And his all time favorite - he reads this all the time - Sense and Sensibility."

Lucas pressed his hand on his forehead to hide the embarrassment.

"Oh, oops," Ms. Wesley placed a hand over her lips and chuckled. So did Riley.

"No, actually, that's one of my favorite ones too," the brunette informed. Their eyes locked for a second and that was the first time Riley had ever been so comfortable with staring at a guy. Sure she'd stare at Sorrell, but that could only last for a few seconds, unlike Lucas. She could stare at him for hours. "So..." she cut it short. "Lucas told me you were a gymnast."

She nodded as a sense of nostalgia washed over her, "I started when I was five and I had no idea I would fall in love with it. I kept with it, competed against higher level experienced gymnasts and such, I won various medals to leave it at that. But it wasn't until my sophomore year of high school when I had no choice but to quit."

"Why's that?" Riley asked.

"My heart was failing me," Ms. Wesley informed. "It was too faint almost irregular for my age. So I had heart surgery. Honestly my dear, I'm healthy as can be."

Riley smiled, "That's good to know Ms. Wesley."

"Please, call me Katherine. Wesley is strictly for business."

Riley nodded.

"Oh, Lucas," Katherine said as if a light bulb had lit up on her head. "Have you told Riley about the ball?"

"The ball?" Riley questioned.

"You're gonna love it. It's an annual celebration we do in honor of our towns activists. This year we're going to have it here, I've been planning non-stop since January."

Riley looked at Lucas and raised a brow.

"I was going to ask her after, mom," he informed.

"Well, why can't you do it now?"

"Katherine, it's fine. Lucas and I are just friends. Can you please show me where your bathroom is at?"

"Down there," she pointed toward the house, "To the left."

Riley got up and sauntered towards the bathroom but smiled when she heard Lucas' mom say:

"The hell you mean by 'after'?"

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

"She's amazing," Riley told Lucas as he closed the door to his house. She stops just in front of the three steps and turns to face him, he looked happy.

"You're amazing. I mean I didn't even get to speak and when I did it was to remind you you had to go home."

She chuckled, "I'm really glad you asked me, Lucas."

"Glad you came," he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home? It's already late."

"I'm fine, Lucas. You don't have to worry, plus you live in a safe neighborhood, the worst thing that can happen is I get lost."

He smiled.

"Your mom mentioned something about heart failure...?"

"Yeah," he nodded as they descended the steps. "It's why she stopped gymnastics."

"But...you've also mentioned your brother's death."

"Ah," he nodded. "You're really smart, Riley."

She smiled.

"That's the reason my brother died," he informed. "Heart failure."

She grabbed his hand.

"I really wish you'd let me take you home."

"Not happening, Prince Charming," Riley stood on her toes and kissed his nose. "Tell your mom I had a good time. And don't forget to tell her I'd like for her to arrange another get-together."

"I will. Be safe."

Riley turned around to face him, "Always am."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

By the time Lucas closed the front door, his mom was already there smiling at him. "She has to be one of the wisest, cultivated young women I've ever met. I really like her, Lucas."

"Same here, mom," he leaned on the railing and smiled. "Can't stop thinking about her."

Katherine squealed as she walked over to him. She went up three steps to reach his height, "I'd ask her out."

He chuckled, "I don't know, mom. I don't even know if she really likes me in that way."

"Nonsense. She stared at you just as much as you stared at her and that was a lot. Lucas, if it's one piece of advice I can give you is: don't let her go."

"I know mom. I don't want to."

She smiled, "Well, I'm gonna go to bed a little early. I have a long day ahead of me. And please put the scrapbooks back in the drawing room. I know you hid them."

"Of course I'm gonna hide them. I didn't want you showing Riley my baby pictures."

"You and your brother were adorable..."

"I know."

Katherine kissed her son on the head and ascended the steps, "Goodnight, Lucas."

"Goodnight, mom."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: Hopefully this chapter satisfied you. What do you think was being foreshadowed? Also let me know in the reviews. Thank you for reading and Guests you know what to do.**


	21. The Only Beautiful He Knows, Is Her

**A/N: I love how you all jumped to the idea that something bad would happen to Riley. There were some great guesses, some of them really made me think and I really liked what was said. It shows me the possibilities that I could have taken. But since I only need like two more chapters to write , will I take some of your guesses into consideration? The answer is maybe.**

 **naelacy: I wanted people to really like Katherine for various reasons. I mean the woman was abused by her husband and she only put up with him for Lucas. She had to run away from Peter and start all over. Such a good thing she already had money saved up. Although your guesses were a little over the top, it would have been a great plot. But will something happen to Riley that will hurt her physically? Yes. Will it be major? No. As for Lucas and Maya, Maya's hate will grow for Lucas. This happens when she realizes Riley and Lucas are getting close. You said something about Lucas sleeping with Missy? Good guess. But...does he?**

 **Siennese: Riley and Lucas' relationship will definitely have it's downs. You will soon see. But Missy and Sorrell are important. Has Lucas slept with Missy when they were dating, tho? Yes. And Lucas is wise enough to know wrong from right, just like he knows temptation and regret. Those two words are important. As for Katherine and the health issues, know that her future hasn't been determined. I'm still writing that.**

 **violet1429: Lucas is really close to his mom. But the foreshadowing wasn't meant to lead to something that could harm Riley or Katherine, at least not yet. The foreshadowing is actually a really great moment that you guys will soon read.**

 **amymay2003: The foreshadowing lead to something great. And Riley won't get pregnant, at least not in this chapter. ;)**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]** _ **  
**_

 _"Thought you wouldn't show up," Lucas admitted. She did take a while to get there._

 _"You're partially right. I am still mad at you for what you did."_

 _"And I am still very sorry you had to see that," he confessed. "You look good."_

 _She scoffed, "Wish I could say the same."_

 _He nodded understanding the compliment wasn't enough for her forgiveness. "You're still mad."_

 _"Of course, I am."_

 _"Then what do you want me to say? I'm sorry?"_

 _"Yes," Riley spoke. "That's exactly what you need to say. I don't wanna hear your sorrow for beating up a guy-"_

 _"Who deserved it," he continued for her, his voice so loud it shocked Riley. "He tried to hurt you."_

 _"But he didn't."_

 _Now it was Lucas turn to scoff. "Whether he didn't hurt you or tried to hurt you, he still came onto you. I don't see any other reason to punch him."_

 _"I'm not mad you because you hit him. I'm mad because you wouldn't stop, even after I called your name."_

 _He turned his back on Riley and leaned his forearms on the railings. "I'm not going to apologize if that's what you want. He wanted to hurt you."_

 _"Fine," Riley gave up. "Then don't."_

 _"Thank you-"_

 _"But you have to tell me why you were carrying a knife?"_

 _His eyes closed for a few seconds, "You saw it-"_

 _"I did."_

 _"Riley, I don't think that's your business-"_

 _"You don't think it's my business? I went on a date with you. For all I know, you could've used it to hurt me."_

 _"That's bullshit!" he scoffed. "To hurt you?" Once Riley didn't say anything, Lucas didn't know what to say either. For the first minute of tranquility Riley had hope Lucas would tell her, but when his eyes wouldn't meet hers...she gave up._

 _"I'll see you around, Lucas."_

 _"Hey," he called out to her. She wouldn't stop walking so he called her again. "Hey," he reached for her hand and once he did, he pulled her towards him. "Don't get angry with me."_

 _"I want to know. And if you plan on seeing me then I suggest you tell me why."_

 _Lucas contemplated for a few short seconds. It wasn't late when he realized she deserved to know. "I didn't know I had it in that jacket, Riley. It's stupid and...I just, I've had it for so long. I felt like I could protect someone if it was on me. When my mother and I left Texas and came here, I wanted to protect her from my dad. I didn't mean to scare you."_

 _She stared into his eyes and nodded. She liked that he had it for protection towards his own mother, and not for harming anyone. "You could've told me."_

 _"I know," he nodded._

 _"You can trust me, Lucas. You know that, right?"_

 _"I do."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]** **  
**

 _Riley stood in front Lucas' door. In the time it took to place her knuckles on the door, Riley contemplated her "hellos" to Ms. Wesley. She didn't know what to say to Lucas' mother since she was meeting her for the first time and to say she was nervous wasn't saying much. In fact, she was scared. Despite knowing about 25% of her, Riley had forgotten all the encouraging things Lucas told her._

 _Lucas actually spends quite his time on that hammock over there, reading books."_

 _Riley stared at him and smiled, "Which ones?"_

 _He laughed nervously, "I don't think she needs to know that-"_

 _"Oh, you're gonna love this. He reads The Notebook, Dear John, Pride & Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird-"_

 _"Mom," Lucas warned._

 _"And his all time favorite - he reads this all the time - Sense and Sensibility."_

 _Lucas pressed his hand on his forehead to hide the embarrassment._

 _"Oh, oops," Ms. Wesley placed a hand over her lips and chuckled. So did Riley._

 _"No, actually, that's one of my favorite ones too," the brunette informed. Their eyes locked for a second and that was the first time Riley had ever been so comfortable with staring at a guy._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _By the time Lucas closed the front door, his mom was already there smiling at him. "She has to be one of the wisest, cultivated young women I've ever met. I really like her, Lucas."_

 _"Same here, mom," he leaned on the railing and smiled. "Can't stop thinking about her."_

 _Katherine squealed as she walked over to him. She went up three steps to reach his height, "I'd ask her out."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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"All right," Riley began as she ended their walk short. "What is it Lucas?"

Lucas furrowed his brows at the question and turned to her, their hands still intact. "What do you mean?"

"You've been stiff and you haven't said a word in the last two minutes. Something's wrong."

He chuckled, "Nothing's wrong, Riley."

She raised a brow and stared at him.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I'm not an idiot," she reminded. "Your hands are moist and you're breathing faster than usual. That pretty much tells me something's up."

He took his hands away from their grasp and smiled nervously.

"You can tell me, Lucas."

Lucas wiped his hands against his jeans and gulped. It's been two days since Riley has met his mom. And in those two days, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He tried everything, cold showers, football, running, but nothing seemed to work. And the thought of using another girl to distract himself from Riley nearly disturbed him.

He jerked his head signaling the continuation of their walk. Riley followed him and shortly after they were back under the same gazebo they were four nights ago.

"Is it really that bad?" Riley questioned. Lucas was worrying her.

"Nothing bad happened, Riley. I promise."

"Then why can't you tell me. C'mon, you're scaring me."

Lucas inhaled then exhaled. He scratched the back of his head before his eyes met hers. "I like you."

She smiled.

"And it feels like you like me too," his eyes couldn't leave her's. "We've been spending so much time with each other that I look forward to it. I like talking to you, Riley...and I really want you to feel the same way."

Every time they're together she forgets about the real reason she's with him and she only thinks about wanting to be with him, as something more. She crossed her hands and joined him, Lucas turned so they're both facing the same direction, the stars.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

He nodded, knowing all too well the only 'beautiful' he knows is her.

"I like you, Lucas." The smile he gave her was enough to make her chuckle. "You make it so much easier to be honest with you. There's no one I know who re-reads Sense & Sensibility more than I do, of course, that was until I met you." Her tone grew serious. "You're a good different."

His hands went down to hers, "The important talks, the one's we share, promise me we'll have more of those."

Riley's hands snaked around his neck as his hands rest on her hips. She smiled because Lucas had managed to say everything she's been wanting to hear. Everything she's wanted in a relationship has somehow been what their friendship with was all about. When they were together he provided her with attention, care, affection; the list goes on for a lifetime and that was all she ever wanted.

He cared for her, and she cares for him.

"I don't know Lucas, how would we do that?"

His forehead leaned against hers. The smell she radiated, of pear blossom and jasmine, made it impossible to think straight. He loved it. "Instead of seeing each other as...friends, maybe we can see each other as...more?"

Riley nodded. "I see."

"So what do you say? Give _us_ a try?"

Riley grinned while Lucas touched her cheek, his slid his fingers into his hair and smiled. She leaned in to kiss him. This time, the kiss was more passionate than the previous ones. He clasped both of his hands behind her back and pulled her impossibly close.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"It's a definite yes." The spark in his eyes was brighter than usual, "You're worth it."

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Katy opened the door and found an elegant box with a bow planted on the floor. She looked both ways to see who could've done this but no one was to be seen. She picked it up and brought the box inside the apartment. She set the box on the dining table and untied the bow, a letter slipped out and it read: _Riley Matthews_ with nicely printed writing.

"Riley can you come here for a sec?" she called out. Seconds later Riley walked into the room. "I think this is for you."

She arched a brow and sauntered towards the blonde, her eyes soon trailed down to the box. "For me?"

She nodded and patted the box. "Go on, I wanna see what's inside."

Riley decided to open the letter first and once she did, she read aloud: "Please join the Wesley Family on the ninth at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails, and celebration," the brunette turned to Katy. "It's an invitation."

"Do you know from whom?"

A sudden smile dawned on Riley's features as she remembered Katherine's invite to a ball she had been planning for months.

"Lucas," she answered.

"Okay now open the box. I'm dying to see what's inside."

Riley smiled before she opened it, inside was a gorgeous dress and a nicely sculpted golden necklace.

"Oh my," Katy gasped. "This boy has some outstanding good taste."

Riley smiled and closed the box in a blink of an eye, "You can't tell Maya."

"My lips are sealed - as they have been. But if you plan on going, promise me you'll be careful."

"I will," Riley assured. "I promise."

Katy gave her a nod before she exited the room. "Maya will be home soon. I suggest you hide the box in your suitcase," she heard her say before the door closed.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 **A/N: I apologize for making the chapter so short. The second part doesn't go well with the first part and that's because the second part was already written. But it makes sense...I hope. Lucas wants to take Riley to the ball as his girlfriend, (in case you missed it). How do you feel about Riley commencing a relationship with Lucas? Will this cause more problems? Will Riley run into some trouble? The next chapter will answer some of these questions. Reviews are highly encouraged, Guest's, you know what to do.**


	22. It's My Body

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews. They mean a lot to me and sometimes I feel like I don't tell you guys how much I care. Remember when I said there would be downs in the Rucas relationship? Well, welcome to our first down. A lot of you guys might be like, _Why? This is barely the first chapter where we get to see them as boyfriend and girlfriend._ Which is true, for some of it. Let me know what you think. **

**naelacy: This story is thirty chapters long. So we only have about night weeks - I'm not going to post one week - but this story has the potential to go even further. But I decided thirty chapters was enough. Who knows, maybe it will be thirty-one chapters long. You have to stay tuned to see how this goes down. Right now I am taking a break from writing and just living life. God knows I need it.**

 **JJ: As long as you respect my decisions when it comes to this story and you don't say anything that could discredit the characters, I am fine with your reviews. I don't like to admit I like it when my writing is complimented, but boy do I like it. Thank you so much. Lucas won't always be the hero which sort of angers him at first. Because he realizes he does more harm to Riley than good. But has he? The next chapters will tell.**

 **amymayy2003: There is no such thing as a long review. But will Riley get pregnant? I don't know. There's a possibility. Please keep reading.**

 **KillEmWithKindess02: Oh, trust me. There is plenty you don't know. ;) Keep reading and piece the pieces together. The downs in the relationship are just getting started.**

 **Marissa Davis: Katy is Riley's second mom. Lucas can be cute, he can be angry, jealous, possessive, charming, sweet, handsome, kind, caring...the list goes on and on...but Riley always brings out the best in him...or does she? And you'll get what you want in this chapter. But that's what leads to their downfall.** **Now I'm starting to regret what I have in stores for you guys...**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _"So, please tell me, how'd you two meet?" Ms. Wesley said as Riley took a seat in front of her. To her left was her son, Lucas and in front of them was a splendid meal their butler prepared._

 _"Mom," Lucas warned._

 _"What? Too soon?" she asked, to which Lucas nodded. Her gaze went back to Riley, "I'm sorry. I tend to forget my limits."_

 _"There's no need to apologize Ms. Wesley. You have a well-mannered son."_

 _She smiled. "So, I take it you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend?"_

 _Lucas was caught in the process of drinking from his glass, he gulped the liquid down and stared at Riley for a short second. The truth was he didn't know what they were. Sure, they'd made out and have seen parts of each other's bodies friends don't usually see, but that didn't necessarily mean they were boyfriend and girlfriend. After he's had so many artificial relationships, he was ready to settle for a real, honest one. But he doesn't know if that's what Riley wants._

 _"Actually," she began. Lucas didn't look like he was going to say anything so she decided to step in, "Your son and I are just really good friends."_

 _"Oh-"_

 _"Yeah," she said quickly. She inhaled the smell of the various plates arranged in front of her, delicious. "You have a very nice backyard, Ms. Wesley." Riley craned her neck to see the scenery behind her once more. The backyard had a nice Italian style to it, with a pool, a stone fireplace, and a large amount of green grass._

 _"Thank you. We have wonderful people who work on it. It makes for a nice calm and soothing getaway. Lucas actually spends quite his time on that hammock over there, reading books."_

 _Riley stared at him and smiled, "Which ones?"_

 _He laughed nervously, "I don't think she needs to know that-"_

 _"Oh, you're gonna love this. He reads The Notebook, Dear John, Pride & Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird-"_

 _"Mom," Lucas warned._

 _"And his all time favorite - he reads this all the time - Sense and Sensibility."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _By the time Lucas closed the front door, his mom was already there smiling at him. "She has to be one of the wisest, cultivated young women I've ever met. I really like her, Lucas."_

 _"Same here, mom," he leaned on the railing and smiled. "Can't stop thinking about her."_

 _Katherine squealed as she walked over to him. She went up three steps to reach his height, "I'd ask her out."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Riley opened the letter first. Once she did, she read aloud: "Please join the Wesley Family on the ninth at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails, and celebration," the brunette turned to Katy. "It's an invitation."_

 _"Do you know from whom?"_

 _A sudden smile dawned on Riley's features as she remembered Katherine's invite to a ball she had been planning for months._

 _"Lucas," she answered._

 _"Okay now open the box. I'm dying to see what's inside."_

 _Riley smiled before she opened it, inside was a gorgeous dress and a nicely sculpted golden necklace._

 _"Oh my," Katy gasped. "This boy has some outstanding good taste."_

 _Riley smiled and closed the box in a blink of an eye, "You can't tell Maya."_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 _Lucas wiped his hands against his jeans and gulped. It's been two days since Riley has met his mom. And in those two days, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He tried everything, cold showers, football, running, but nothing seemed to work. And the thought of using another girl to distract himself from Riley nearly disturbed him._

 _He jerked his head signaling the continuation of their walk. Riley followed him and shortly after they were back under the same gazebo they were four nights ago._

 _"Is it really that bad?" Riley questioned. Lucas was worrying her._

 _"Nothing bad happened, Riley. I promise."_

 _"Then why can't you tell me. C'mon, you're scaring me."_

 _Lucas inhaled then exhaled. He scratched the back of his head before his eyes met hers. "I like you."_

 _She smiled._

 _"And it feels like you like me too," his eyes couldn't leave her's. "We've been spending so much time with each other that I look forward to it. I like talking to you, Riley...and I really want you to feel the same way."_

 _Every time they're together she forgets about the real reason she's with him and she only thinks about wanting to be with him, as something more. She crossed her hands and joined him, Lucas turned so they're both facing the same direction, the stars._

 _"It's beautiful, isn't it?"_

 _He nodded, knowing all too well the only 'beautiful' he knows is her._

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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Riley's head rested on Lucas' chest while his finger drew circles on her back. Ever since they officially became boyfriend and girlfriend Lucas hasn't been able to think straight and he couldn't care less. They spent the entire day together. From nine in the morning to twelve in the night and it ended because Riley fell asleep. "How long have you been awake?" she asked her boyfriend Lucas the following morning.

"Only for a few minutes. I was thinking about you, you know?"

"Really? What were you thinking about?"

"Well," Riley's eyes met his. "I was thinking about our plans today."

"You didn't tell me anything about 'our plans.'"

"That's because you didn't ask," he chuckled and kissed her nose. "Zay invited us to a party. What do you say? Are you in?"

Riley shook her head no, "Let's just stay here tonight."

"But we did that yesterday."

"And I wanna do it again. C'mon, please?"

Lucas wanted to argue but the look she was giving him stopped him, he cared more about her than the party. "Okay, we'll stay. I'll order pizza..."

She smiled and continued, "We'll binge watch the first season of Friends..."

"You'll make the popcorn..."

"I'll lean on your chest because you hid the pillows..."

"And I'll ditch the shirt," he finished.

"That sounds perfect."

He kissed her because he agreed. Everything with Riley sounded perfect, he could stare at a blank wall for hours as long as Riley was by his side, she was all he cared about.

"Hmmm," she smiled. "So when you said you didn't sleep with any clothes on, you meant it."

He nodded. "You want me to ditch the underwear too?"

"Hey Lucas," she called.

"Yeah?" he smiled.

"Let's just keep this relationship PG, for now?"

He laughed, "But that'll ruin the fun."

"Then we'll keep it PG-13."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "That rating allows nudity, right?"

"You're so full of it."

"You like it," her lips fell on his and their kiss quickly became feverish. Lucas' hands led a trail down Riley's back but before they could reach her butt, she slapped his hand and he had to start all over again. He knows her limits, but he purposely crosses them because he likes teasing her.

Riley kisses his neck then leads a soft trail down to his chest. Her kisses reach his waist and Lucas' eyes widen. She stops then looks up at him, smiling. Her lips don't go anywhere further than his waist but her lips lock with his. He smiles and flips her over, doing the exact same thing to her. Only he places his hands on her butt.

His lips settle on her neck and they stay there for a while, only his hands get closer to her stomach and down passed her waistline.

"That's...that's enough-"

His lips silence her but his hands are still free.

"Lucas...stop." She shifts from his grasp and sits upright.

"What's wrong? Too much?"

She nodded.

He moves closer but Riley moves away from him. She comes close to falling off the bed but she remains on her feet.

"Riley-"

"I'm going home."

He stands up and follows after her. "Riley."

She ignores him and picks up her shoes before she exits his room.

"Riley!"

Before she could start walking down the stairs Lucas stops her. "Riley. It's not that big a deal-"

"It's not?!" she shouts. "It's my body, Lucas. Respect it."

She turns her back on him but Lucas stops her yet again. "Just stay. You're angry."

"Don't touch me. We'll talk when you have clothes on."

Lucas watches her go. He runs a hand through his hair and mentally punches himself for being so stupid. He didn't know what came over him but he seriously messed up this time. He walks back into his room and mercilessly falls back onto his bed, disappointed in himself.

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

He seems to keep finding himself in places like this.

He makes a mistake when Riley is nearby or he makes a mistake when he's with her and decides a party will distract him from the disappointment.

He was wrong.

Every girl he came across looked exactly like Riley. Even the girls with blonde hair. He would watch them walk by, some would wink while others would smile. No matter how hard he rubbed his eyes or pinched himself, the _Riley's_ kept coming.

He set the drink down and got up from the couch, floundering towards Zay. "Ima head out."

"C'mon man," the Texan whined. "We got here like forty minutes ago. You can't be this drunk."

"I'll walk then."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

He scoffed, "Zay, my house is two blocks away from here."

"Downhill," he advised. "In the tipsy plight you're in ... you won't be walking downhill, you'll be rolling."

"You wanna drive me, then?"

"I'm good. Here," he pulled Missy towards them. "For the first time at any party, she's sober. Missy will walk you."

Lucas was in no mood to argue. He just wanted to be home, lying in bed and thinking about Riley. Thinking about the ways he would apologize to her.

He nodded. "Let's go."

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Lucas' weight was leaning on Missy the entire time. In a sober state he would've been impressed, but the thought didn't fall on him until after they were at his house.

Missy placed Lucas on the bed but stopped when their lips were centimeters apart.

His eyes met hers and for a second all he saw was Riley. The same brown eyes reflected her scent, her touch, and her warmth. A second later her lips crashed into his and Lucas heavily kissed back.

He hovered over her and kissed even harder. The kiss was unusual, but he didn't really think about it. Instead, he opened his eyes to see his Princess, the woman he was slowly falling in love with.

Only to see someone else.

Realizing who it was, he angrily got off of her, "Missy?"

She chuckled and got off his bed. "Yes, babe?"

Before Lucas could yell or even harvest a thought, Missy had already slipped out her dress.

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 **A/N: Well, where does this leave us? Please let me know what happens and next chapter will reveal all.**


	23. Nothing But a Painful Goodbye

**A/N: Loving your guys's reaction to what happened. When I was writing these chapters I wanted it to be dramatic. This is what Maya had warned Riley about. Will Riley resume with her plan? Will she hate him for it? Who knows? I re - posted the chapter do to many reasons.**

 **violet1429: Yes, Lucas pushed passed her boundaries and said it was no big a deal. She deserved to be mad. But Lucas was sorry. He learned from his mistake so he shouldn't be hated for it. I see where you're coming from. Riley knows what happened between Maya and Lucas, but she doesn't know why. This chapter will escalate things...for the worst.**

 **naelacy: You're right. This is not good.**

 **amymayy2003: Just like in every other story, Missy only exists to make things worse.**

 **JJ: Those questions will not be answered by me. They will be answered in the story. I don't wanna give to much away...but there is a possibility that Riley might get pregnant. But I'm still deciding if I should take that turn. This story is about to end and I still haven't finished writing this story. I'm taking a break cause God knows I need it. I am a very private person so I won't tell you my age, but I am old enough to be on this site.**

 **Livcan: Well...the truth is revealed in this chapter. And thank you so much for the compliment, hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

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 _He took his hands away from their grasp and smiled nervously._

 _"You can tell me, Lucas."_

 _Lucas wiped his hands against his jeans and gulped. It's been two days since Riley has met his mom. And in those two days, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He tried everything, cold showers, football, running, but nothing seemed to work. And the thought of using another girl to distract himself from Riley nearly disturbed him._

 _He jerked his head signaling the continuation of their walk. Riley followed him and shortly after they were back under the same gazebo they were four nights ago._

 _"Is it really that bad?" Riley questioned. Lucas was worrying her._

 _"Nothing bad happened, Riley. I promise."_

 _"Then why can't you tell me. C'mon, you're scaring me."_

 _Lucas inhaled then exhaled. He scratched the back of his head before his eyes met hers. "I like you."_

 _She smiled._

 _"And it feels like you like me too," his eyes couldn't leave her's. "We've been spending so much time with each other that I look forward to it. I like talking to you, Riley...and I really want you to feel the same way."_

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 _Riley decided to open the letter first and once she did, she read aloud: "Please join the Wesley Family on the ninth at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails, and celebration," the brunette turned to Katy. "It's an invitation."_

 _"Do you know from whom?"_

 _A sudden smile dawned on Riley's features as she remembered Katherine's invite to a ball she had been planning for months._

 _"Lucas," she answered._

 _"Okay now open the box. I'm dying to see what's inside."_

 _Riley smiled before she opened it, inside was a gorgeous dress and a nicely sculpted golden necklace._

 _"Oh my," Katy gasped. "This boy has some outstanding good taste."_

 _Riley smiled and closed the box in a blink of an eye, "You can't tell Maya."_

 _"My lips are sealed - as they have been. But if you plan on going, promise me you'll be careful."_

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 _"You like it," her lips fell on his and their kiss quickly became feverish. Lucas' hands led a trail down Riley's back but before they could reach her butt, she slapped his hand and he had to start all over again. He knows her limits, but he purposely crosses them because he likes teasing her._

 _Riley kisses his neck then leads a soft trail down to his chest. Her kisses reach his waist and Lucas' eyes widen. She stops then looks up at him, smiling. Her lips don't go anywhere further than his waist but her lips lock with his. He smiles and flips her over, doing the exact same thing to her. Only he places his hands on her butt._

 _His lips settle on her neck and they stay there for a while, only his hands get closer to her stomach and down passed her waistline._

 _"That's...that's enough-"_

 _His lips silence her but his hands are still free._

 _"Lucas...stop." She shifts from his grasp and sits upright._

 _"What's wrong? Too much?"_

 _She nodded._

 _He moves closer but Riley moves away from him. She comes close to falling off the bed but she remains on her feet._

 _"Riley-"_

 _"I'm going home."_

 _He stands up and follows after her. "Riley."_

 _She ignores him and picks up her shoes before she exits his room._

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 _Lucas' weight was leaning on Missy the entire time. In a sober state he would've been impressed, but the thought didn't fall on him until after they were at his house._

 _Missy placed Lucas on the bed but stopped when their lips were centimeters apart._

 _His eyes met hers and for a second all he saw was Riley. The same brown eyes reflected her scent, her touch, and her warmth. A second later her lips crashed into his and Lucas heavily kissed back._

 _He hovered over her and kissed even harder. The kiss was unusual, but he didn't really think about it. Instead, he opened his eyes to see his Princess, the woman he was slowly falling in love with._

 _Only to see someone else._

 _Realizing who it was, he angrily got off of her, "Missy?"_

 _She chuckled and got off his bed. "Yes, babe?"_

 _Before Lucas could yell or even harvest a thought, Missy had already slipped out her dress._

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 _ **Dangerous**_ **Woman**

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Riley knocks on Lucas' front door for about two minutes. She stands there waiting for him but he doesn't open the door. She really wanted to see him because they had yet to talk about what happened. She really wanted to see him and be in his embrace, to forgive him and forget. When he didn't open the door, Riley went ahead and opened it.

"Lucas," she called out. She closed the door behind her and looked up towards the upstairs chambers only to be greeted with silence.

"Lucas?" she calls out but stops when she sees a pair of high heels in the middle of the foyer. "Katherine must be home."

She walks up the stairs but again stops at the sight of a black piece of clothing. She crouches down and picks it up, her eyes widen and she sets it down when she sees it's a woman's underwear.

"Lucas?" she calls out once more. Once she reaches the second floor, Riley walks towards his room but this time stops when another article of clothing was set on the ground, just in front of his door.

This time the clothing wasn't hard to acknowledge. It was a bra.

Feeling tears gather in her eyes, Riley sniffles and puts on a serious face.

She opens the door just a bit but then kicks it open for two reasons.

1: so Lucas and whoever this girl is can stop whatever they're doing behind the door and

2: so they can wake the fuck up.

At the sound of the door, Lucas, and Missy sat upright. Lucas rubbed his eyes while Missy smirked.

The sight of his clothes scattered all over the floor and a condom wrapper lying on top his underwear broke her heart. She watched as the girl next to him placed the comforter over her chest and looked at Lucas. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend."

Lucas turned to look at Missy then looked at Riley, "This is not at all what it looks like."

"Really?" Riley questions, hurt and rage in her words. "It's not what IT LOOKS LIKE?!"

She enters his room and walks towards his dresser - which was only two steps from the door. When she opens it, she pulls out his clothes and walks out the room. Throwing it down the second story floor. When she turns to walk back in the room, Lucas is there to stop her.

He's dressed in nothing but his boxer briefs. "Riley, please. Let me explain-"

He stopped when her hand connected with his cheek. Breathing, Lucas backed up slowly. When her back turned to him, Lucas followed her down the stairs. "Just give me time to explain this-"

"That you cheated on me? That you slept with another girl just because I didn't want to sleep with you?"

They were now outside his house. Standing in the driveway out in the morning breeze. When Riley turned back to face him, tears had already gathered in her eyes.

"Whatever happened, I can explain. Just please trust me." Lucas winced at the morning sun and raised a hand to block the light. He was hungover and with what he could process, Riley thinks he was cheating on her.

"Trust you? I did trust you. But look at how great that turned out."

Lucas didn't let her leave this time. His hands wrapped around her back firmly in order to hold her. He wanted to scream out his innocence but at the same time, he didn't know what happened between them.

"Riley-"

"Let me go-"

"Let me explain what happened-"

"Stop. You're hurting me-"

"I don't think I did anything with her. I mean I know I didn't sleep with her-"

"Let me go."

Lucas was surprised he could even utter the words coming out his mouth. An intense headache was affecting him greatly all the while he was trying to get Riley to listen to him. "Please-"

"Lucas, let me-"

"JUST LISTEN TO ME!" His words were so loud he couldn't process a thought afterwards, let alone think of what he's going to say next.

Riley stopped struggling. This time she wasn't surprised nor was she scared of his reaction. She noticed how he tried to calm himself down, each breath smelled of beer and other things. Riley raised a brow while he tried to regain his serenity - something Riley never knew he had trouble controlling.

He looked up at her slowly, sadly realizing what he had done. "I'm so-"

"Save it," she cut him off, her voice so firm it broke Lucas's heart. No more worry was left in her, it was all anger.

The last time they were this close to each other, Lucas had kissed her for the first time. But that felt like decades ago. She no longer remembered his touch even though their skin met in various parts. She no longer remembered the color of his eyes even though she was staring at them right now. She no longer remembered his warmth, even though that's all she felt, she no longer knew him in general, even though all she thought about was him, more specifically, his personality.

She swallows her anger but stares deep into his eyes. "You are exactly like your dad. The way you yell, the way you get angry, the way you hold me...pretty soon I'm going to be the one lying on the floor and you're going to be the one with the blood on your fist."

Lucas finally shut down. He couldn't even look at her. His grasp on her loosened and Riley slowly stepped back from him. He wanted to say something but no words came out, all he felt was loneliness. Letting her go didn't feel right, it felt like a goodbye, he tried to look at her and apologize but the moment didn't feel right. Nothing did.

He simply turned around and walked back inside his house. At the same time, Riley watched him go. Now she felt like the guilty one, but she knew all too well they were both to blame. She spun around and ran as fast as her legs could take her, soon enough she was in front of Maya's house. Katy was sitting on the living room couch but paused the TV when Riley walked in.

She saw the tears stream down her face but before she could get up and ask her what was wrong, Riley had already laid down on the couch, with her head resting on Katy's laps.

"What's wrong, baby girl?"

Riley shook her head and cried even more. "I just need a mom right now."

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 **A/N: I'm somewhat impressed by the outcome of this chapter. For a time I continued to check back into this chapter and re-read somethings and all I will say is that I different feelings on this than you guys, but this was the way I wanted it to go. You guys have every right to be mad. But I wanted to end it on a "Did he sleep with her?" level. Chapter wise, this is one of the most well-written chapters in the series. We only have a few more weeks to go before this story ends, sadly. I am going on a one-week hiatus so you won't get a chapter next week but the following week after that. Just a short two weeks. Hopefully, by the time you guys are reading this, I already have these next chapters written out. Show me the support by reviewing and leaving your thoughts. Did Lucas really sleep with Missy? Do you think Riley was wrong for saying those things to Lucas? Thank you guys for reading.**


	24. That's What I Needed

**A/N: I am back and ready to snatch you, you, and you. I am still trying to finish this story with about two chapters left. I planned all the way from chapters 16 all the way to 28 and I wish I had planned more. I think about where I want the ending to go and I have a few ideas but then I over think them and I end up not liking them, so please, if you can give me some ideas I would really love them. You will be credited. Now where did we leave off? That's right! Did Lucas really cheat on Riley? This chapter will tell all. Reviews are a must, just kidding, but they would make my day. I also found out that many of you guys aren't receiving emails when a story has been updated and the same thing has happened to me. Just know that every Friday you get an update from me, unless I say otherwise.**

 **amymayy2003: You and me both.**

 **SGIM: I've been asked that question a reasonable amount of times and the answer is yes. Yes they will get a happy ending...in their own way. So it might not be the happy ending you guys wanted or expect. As for the sequel, I don't know. I have no ideas. So please, if you have some I would love to hear them. Lucas will find out. Their plan does play out, but Riley won't feel the same way about it. Maya and Lucas should talk about what he did to her, but then again Maya wasn't exactly the victim. So who knows? Maybe. Will Riley get pregnant? That's a major answer for a different chapter.**

 **RowanBSelenaG: Oh my...I stan both of them. 3. Well where in the damn juggly hell have you been? I love new readers. And I know. That's Missy's purpose, to intervene and mess with Rucas. We have a love hate relationship. I love that she gives us a good plot, but I hate that it comes at the expense of Rucas. Your two weeks are up...3**

 **naelacy: I think when I was writing that chapter a few months back, I wanted it to feel like Riley and Lucas were saying goodbye and that there was no way they would ever see each other again. That chapter was like supposed to be the one chapter where you just need to know what's going to happen and I hope it felt that way. And yes, Rucas will prevail...and I did enjoy my week off.**

 **JJ: This story is full of twists and turns...also bumps and cliffs...so beware. Breaks are a crucial thing for me. When I take I break from not only posting, I take a break from writing as well. So I am living. I believe in second chances, I believe someone who has made a mistake has good inside. I wouldn't judge or shut anyone out of my life for trying to do good...therefore I respond to your reviews. If I didn't like you I would not let your reviews pass. And do it. If you want to be a writer...go for it. Hey, maybe i'll be the one reviewing _your_ story. **

**volleyballer82: I hope this chapter is just as good.**

 **ArabellaRoseD: Rucas makes up! And who knows, maybe all the evidence that pointed to Lucas could have been compromised? A big _what if_. **

**Marissa Davis: There's a lot of things you say when you are angry that can offend people, and I want people to know that Riley was in that state where she was agitated. And wouldn't it suck if Lucas really did sleep with Missy...again. Know that they have slept with each other, but that was when they dated. He ended things and he is a faithful boyfriend...remember that.**

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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Lucas stared at the woman in front of him. She was middle aged but spoke greatly. Her hair was brown and full of color, she had blue eyes and a soothing smile that brought comfort to Lucas. She sat on a white leather seat across from him and wrote things down in her notebook.

He had been in this room for quite some time now, visiting her three times a week, wanting to cry in front of her every second in the hour, hoping he'd see the light of day.

He didn't want to admit that she was his therapist, even though that's who she was. But he didn't want to see her as a friend either.

He never intended to see someone for this. His problems were his problems, just like his anger. He's kept it under control...until Riley came along.

The thought of Riley hurt him greatly. The last memory he had of her was what she said to him, "The way you yell, the way you get angry, the way you hold me...pretty soon I'm going to be the one unconscious and you're going to be the one with the blood on your fist."

He wanted to shrivel up and hide from the world, hide from anyone and everything. When all he wanted was to hit something instead of talking to someone about it, Lucas realized something was wrong.

So here he was, talking to his therapist, gulping at what she was writing down.

Dr. Perez looked up at him and smiled, "Last time you were here we ended short. I recall being advised of your early years. Why don't we start from there?"

"What do you wanna know?"

"The move," she answered. "You said you moved to California because of your dad."

"We moved because he would hit her."

"Would there be a reason...for his hostile atrocities?"

"Not that I know of. But ever since I started speaking with you, I...think there might be one."

"Which is?"

Lucas sighed and stared down at his hand, "I think it started after my brother died."

She looked down at her notes and wrote something down, "Your brother, Thomas?"

"He's the only one," he informed.

"And the drinking?"

Lucas shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know."

She set her pen down and closed her book, "You summarily said you kept in contact with your dad..."

"No," he answered, almost immediately. "He somehow managed to find my mom and me, and then he wrote to me."

"Did you ever read his letter? Or write him back?"

"Couldn't."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?"

Lucas shook his head no, "I just didn't know what to say to him. All I wanted to do was-"

"Hit him? Yell at him...wish him out of your life?

He nodded.

"What about school?"

"What about it?"

"You got suspended in the first week of your freshman year, your grades drastically decreased...you got in trouble with the police, I mean these are just some of the things your mom told me about."

"That wasn't a good time in my life."

"Just like now?" she questioned him. "What caused you to take these actions?"

"I blamed myself, okay. For everything. For my parent's divorce, for the move, for my mom having to smile and put up with him. It was my fault."

"Throughout your freshman, sophomore and junior year?"

Lucas nodded and blinked back the tears threatening to surface. "For five years."

"You mentioned a girl," the doctor reminded him. "But you never told me her name. What is it?"

"Riley," the words fell out of his mouth and warmed his heart. "Riley Matthews."

She gave him an encouraging smile, "Who is she to you?"

"My girlfriend," he answered. "Or at least was, I don't know. We haven't really talked."

"Tell me about her."

Lucas smiled and stared at the room, the Dr. had many degrees framed on her wall and to the right of him was her desk with a picture of her family in it.

"She's beautiful," he starts and smiles. "Inside and out. She displays unconditional love to my mom, which is actually really great. She makes me really happy, Riley has changed me in ways I can't even begin with. She is a generous, caring person who...I rely on. She's the first person I've opened up to, besides my friends. I would do anything for her."

"You speak very fondly of her."

Lucas nodded.

"Did something happen?"

He looked away. The last thing he wanted to speak about was finally something he had to speak about. "We got into this argument."

"What couple doesn't?" she smiles.

"It wasn't just 'this argument'" Lucas informed as he ran a hand through his hair. "It was so much more than that."

"Care to explain?"

"Hours before the argument even happened Riley and I were about to have...sex." The therapist nodded and Lucas was somewhat relieved with her expression, normal and calm. "I pushed past her limits and she got scared. When I tried to get her to talk to me, she walked away. I was so disappointed in myself and so disgusted that I did something like that to her. So I tried to forget by going to this stupid party. I got drunk, one thing led to another and I somehow woke up the next day with Riley staring at me and another girl laying next to me in bed, naked."

"I see," she nods.

Lucas only sees this as a gesture to continue. "I chased after her with this massive headache and I tried to get her to stop and talk to me. When she didn't, I yelled and I...scared her...again. I'm just stuck between trying to figure out if I cheated on her or if I'm a bad person for screwing up so many times?"

"Neither," she answered as she closed her notebook.

"Then why do I feel this way? Why do I keep feeling the need to apologize or talk to her about this? Why am I constantly thinking about her? Or why am I only remembering the look she gave me the night we went out on our walk at the park?"

Dr. Perez could finally see tears rolling down his eyes, she knew this was bound to happen and she was proud it was happening. "What look was that, Lucas?"

He sighs and answers her question, "Like she's scared of me. It's as if she's staring at a murderer."

The therapist nods.

"It hurts," he admits. "All I wanna do is protect her, but I can't do that without feeling like I'm the guilty one. Like all I do is put harm in her way."

Dr. Perez nods and places her left knee above her right knee. "Let me ask you this, Lucas. Why are you here now?"

"I don't want to be what she thinks of me. I don't want to be like Peter. I want to be the person she says I am."

"Are you that person?"

Lucas sighs, "She talks about me like that for a reason, right?"

The doctor smiles. "You are a great person."

"Why don't I feel like it?"

"Because you are capable of feeling remorse," she told him."

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Riley stood just a few steps behind Lucas as his hands rested on the railing of the gazebo. His back was facing her as he gazed out into the lampposts ahead. His hands went to his pockets as he was dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket. He looked relaxed and free of worry. She smiled and began to walk towards him. This seemed to be their spot now. They'd come here when they wanted to be alone and embraced by the other.

Lucas felt a warm essence at his side and when he turned to see who caused it, Lucas found himself staring at Riley. She looked beautiful but something was off, her beauty was still the same but something else was missing. He arched a brow and fully turned to her. Then he noticed it, her hair was much shorter. A chestnut brown hair with highlights, cut into a lob that falls down to her shoulders and frames her angelic expression mesmerizes Lucas. "Hey."

"Hi," she said back. She placed her hands on the wooden railings and smiled.

Lucas still can't take his eyes off her. She looks absolutely stunning. He glances at her with a slightly crooked grin that is contagious and she smiles back in return. He pictured this moment in his head many times, he practiced in the mirror, he practiced in his dreams and he even practiced to a drawing he made of her. But suddenly all the words he had in mind, got washed away. This was his one chance to prove his innocence and to win her back. He couldn't screw this up.

"You look absolutely stunning," he compliments.

Although Riley did enjoy that brief moment she knew she was here for one reason only. To hear him out, not fall in love with his charms. "Lucas," she sighs.

"I know," he raises his hands in defense. "I know."

He composed his thoughts and stared at the lampposts again. He rubbed the back of his neck and began, "I'm sorry. For...everything. I never meant to hurt you in any way, Riley," he stopped but figured that wasn't enough to see anything or change her mind. "I went to a party that night and I got drunk. Zay was my ride home and he didn't want to leave so he asked Missy to take me home and she did. That's all we did."

Riley didn't look at him the entire time he spoke. His eyes wouldn't leave hers. There were so many questions she had to ask him, there were so many answers she needed to hear to change the way she was feeling for him right now. "Then how do you explain the trail of clothes?"

He sighed, "I don't know. I don't even know what happened after I kissed her."

"You what?" Riley stepped back.

"It sounds worse than it actually is."

"Right..." she says in a salty manner that makes Lucas wince. He really wants her to believe him.

"It is. I was so drunk I thought she was you. That's all."

"Now it sounds like being drunk is your excuse."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Missy is my ex, Riley. I ended it with her back in March. I only kissed her because without the light, without your warmth, she looked exactly like you. And that's who I needed."

"Me?"

He nodded and went down to grab her hands. "I never meant to scare you. And I never meant to hurt you."

A cold breeze passed them and Lucas stared at Riley, "Do you believe me? Anything?" Lucas wanted an answer faster than the speed of light, he wanted to know so they could return to being with each other. But for some reason, doubt stood in the way.

Riley went back to the day she found him in bed with Missy. She remembered every detail. She ascended the steps but stopped when she found the underwear, as she reached the second floor she found the bra, a very familiar bra. Then it hit her. She raised her brows as she looked at the Lucas.

It was Maya's bra.

Riley opened the door to Lucas room' and she saw that there was a condom on top of his underwear, but when he chased after her, he wasn't naked, Lucas was wearing his underwear. She also didn't see what Missy was wearing over the bra and panties scattered on the floor. The evidence laid out in front of her didn't add up.

"What is it?" Lucas asked.

She sighed, "You weren't naked when you chased after me, but I saw your underwear on the floor. You said you were drunk, and your breath smelled like it when you screamed at me," she ignored the guilt that illuminated through Lucas' features, "You didn't lie."

"I didn't," and she believed him. "I would never."

A big part of Riley wanted to hug him and kiss him, but she couldn't. She wouldn't. Even though she forgave Lucas, Riley also needed a little forgiving too.

"What I said to you-"

He shook his head, "Riley, you don't have too."

"I want to. I have too," she stared deep into his eyes. "It was wrong of me to even bring him up. I thought you cheated but you didn't, I am the one to be blamed for this. Lucas this is my fault."

"No. It's no one's fault. If anything we should be blaming Missy, she orchestrated the whole thing," his hand went to her cheek. "I don't ever want you to blame yourself for this. It was never your fault."

"If I'm honest, that's all I've been feeling," Riley informed. "Lucas you are a really great guy. I used to think of you as this fuck boy who would charm his way into a girls pants," Lucas chuckled but Riley continued. "I was wrong. You are so much more than that."

He really wanted to kiss her.

"Let's start over. What happened between me and Missy never happened, I never yelled at you and you never said those things to me. Can we just forget?"

"I like that."

Lucas' forehead leaned against hers as his hands wrapped around her back. "I like you."

She laughed, "Easy."

Lucas placed his hands on her cheeks and pulled her closer. The kiss was intimate and slowly rushed as they both wanted to embrace the moment.

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Riley was on cloud nine the entire walk home. She was genuinely happy because now she could talk to Lucas and just be with him in general. The weeks she was away from him migrated so slowly she felt like they were angry for centuries. As she closed the door to Maya's house and sauntered towards her room, how dare you mode had been activated. Maya had helped Missy in the scheme they pulled off and Riley was nowhere near happy.

"When did you plan on telling me?" she questioned the blonde.

Maya furrowed her brows and stared at her. She set her pencil down on the paper and stood up, "Plan on telling you what?"

"I know you did it, Maya. I know you helped Missy."

She smirked.

"I'm sorry, is this amusing to you?" she questioned.

"I never said it was."

Riley's blood boiled. She was angry and so disappointed in Maya. "Why?"

"Why?" Maya questioned. "Because someone needed to get things done. You said you wanted to break Lucas, what happened?"

"I'm still working on it," Riley defended. Had she? She didn't know. The reasons she's with Lucas don't even come into mind anymore. She forgets all about it when she's with him or around him.

"Well...no offense, darling...but you aren't doing your job."

"I work at my own pace."

"Then your pace isn't good enough. I'm surprised he hasn't even tried to sleep with someone else."

"So that's why you did it? He wouldn't cheat on me so you wanted to make it look like he did?"

Maya walked out her room and into the kitchen.

"I can't believe you."

"I can't believe you," Maya retaliates. "You've been with Lucas for over a month. And all you've been doing is falling for him this whole damn time."

She shakes her head no. Riley didn't want Maya's words to be true, she didn't want Maya to know.

Maya scoffs. "You're starting to like him."

"Am not."

"Are too," she responds. "And after all this time..." a tear rolls down her cheek, "You know I saw you as my sister. I thought that maybe if you broke his heart it would make our bond stronger, I was wrong."

Riley didn't say anything.

"If you don't like him like you say you do, then start breaking him. It's been a long time, how long does it take Lucas Friar to fall in love?" Maya walked passed Riley and nudged her along the way.

Riley didn't know if she was ready to finally put an end to Lucas. And to be honest with him about the reasons she was with him all this time. Could she do it?

She didn't know.

But instead of asking if she could do it...she should be asking if she would do it.

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 **A/N: Always let me know what you think. The story is almost coming to an end. I can't wait for you to see how this story unfolds. You guys have plenty to read in the next few chapters...they go up to 4,000+ words. That may not seem like much to you guys, but that's nothing like what I am used to writing.** **I've also been thinking about doing a Q &A in the next few chapters. So please ask a whole bunch of questions and give me your thoughts. What questions do you have and on the 26th chapter I'll answer all your questions. Plus, the 26th chapter is an important chapter. ;);)**

 **P.S Most of you should know by now that I am a Selena Gomez stan. If you didn't, now you know. Anyways, I just wanted to say: LISTEN TO BAD LIAR. It's out on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes. The second listen is the best.**


	25. Want Back In

**A/N: I'm writing this while listening to Camila Cabello's new single and I am loving it. In my opinion, I think both Fifth Harmony and Camila will do best separately. I love the feedback I got from the last chapter and I'm so happy I already have these chapters written because if I didn't I would not be updating. Life is getting hectic and I hope it doesn't remain stagnant. Always, let me know what you think about this chapter and I might do a mini Q &A in the beginning of the next chapter, so if you questions...ask them. **

**amymayy2003: Updates will remain the same; every Friday's. And why'd you have to do Thomas Friar like that :(;( Luv you girl.**

 **naelacy: Thank you. In my opinion, the last chapter wasn't the best. But it is definitely one of my top five. I have a chapter coming up, I think in two weeks where Lucas and Riley go star gazing. That has to be one of my favorite chapters...so far. Right now, Maya is suspicious about Riley and Lucas. She doesn't know for sure if Riley actually has genuine feelings for him. And right?**

 **ArabellaRoseD: Riley and Lucas will definitely have their ups and downs. And I've said this a few times, but the whole point of this story isn't about a good girl trying to break a bad boy's heart, it's about the things getting in the way of their potential relationship and thing trying to prevent them from lasting. I hope that sticks ya'll. Maya doesn't know Riley has feelings for Lucas. And she didn't want Riley to feel the same thing she felt, she wanted Riley to get angry at Lucas for doing something like that.**

 **volleyballer82: Maya doesn't know that Riley and Lucas have a real relationship. She thinks that Riley is doing this as part of the pact and that is why she is always with him. Maya** **interfered because she's realizing that Riley is taking so long and she wanted to defame Lucas so it can anger Riley and eventually, use that to break him. And I have a chapter coming up that is just Rucas. It's one of my favorite chapters.**

 **JJ: I will always respond to reviews, but if they don't have a username and/ or are here to spread hate, I won't even bother replying…unless I have something to say; and I ALWAYS have something to say. And again, thank you so much for the compliment…they truly mean so much to me.**

 **Marissa Davis: Riley is in a very tough spot. And I've been thinking about Maya and Lucas. Who knows? What if _they're_ endgame? **

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 _Lucas' weight was leaning on Missy the entire time. In a sober state he would've been impressed, but the thought didn't fall on him until after they were at his house._

 _Missy placed Lucas on the bed but stopped when their lips were centimeters apart._

 _His eyes met hers and for a second all he saw was Riley. The same brown eyes reflected her scent, her touch, and her warmth. A second later her lips crashed into his and Lucas heavily kissed back._

 _He hovered over her and kissed even harder. The kiss was unusual, but he didn't really think about it. Instead, he opened his eyes to see his Princess, the woman he was slowly falling in love with._

 _Only to see someone else._

 _Realizing who it was, he angrily got off of her, "Missy?"_

 _She chuckled and got off his bed. "Yes, babe?"_

 _Before Lucas could yell or even harvest a thought, Missy had already slipped out her dress._

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"Lucas?" she calls out once more. Once she reaches the second floor, Riley walks towards his room but this time stops when another article of clothing was set on the ground, just in front of his door.

This time the clothing wasn't hard to acknowledge. It was a bra.

Feeling tears gather in her eyes, Riley sniffles and puts on a serious face.

She opens the door just a bit but then kicks it open for two reasons.

1: so Lucas and whoever this girl is can stop whatever they're doing behind the door and

2: so they can wake the fuck up.

At the sound of the door, Lucas, and Missy sat upright. Lucas rubbed his eyes while Missy smirked.

The sight of his clothes scattered all over the floor and a condom wrapper lying on top his underwear broke her heart. She watched as the girl next to him placed the comforter over her chest and looked at Lucas. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend."

Lucas turned to look at Missy then looked at Riley, "This is not at all what it looks like."

"Really?" Riley questions, hurt and rage in her words. "It's not what IT LOOKS LIKE?!"

She enters his room and walks towards his dresser - which was only two steps from the door. When she opens it, she pulls out his clothes and walks out the room. Throwing it down the second story floor. When she turns to walk back in the room, Lucas is there to stop her.

He's dressed in nothing but his boxer briefs. "Riley, please. Let me explain-"

He stopped when her hand connected with his cheek. Breathing, Lucas backed up slowly. When her back turned to him, Lucas followed her down the stairs. "Just give me time to explain this-"

"That you cheated on me? That you slept with another girl just because I didn't want to sleep with you?"

They were now outside his house. Standing in the driveway out in the morning breeze. When Riley turned back to face him, tears had already gathered in her eyes.

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 _Riley stood just a few steps behind Lucas as his hands rested on the railing of the gazebo. His back was facing her as he gazed out into the lampposts ahead. His hands went to his pockets as he was dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket. He looked relaxed and free of worry. She smiled and began to walk towards him. This seemed to be their spot now. They'd come here when they wanted to be alone and embraced by the other._

 _Lucas felt a warm essence at his side and when he turned to see who caused it, Lucas found himself staring at Riley. She looked beautiful but something was off, her beauty was still the same but something else was missing. He arched a brow and fully turned to her. Then he noticed it, her hair was much shorter. A chestnut brown hair with highlights, cut into a lob that falls down to her shoulders and frames her angelic expression mesmerizes Lucas. "Hey."_

 _"Hi," she said back. She placed her hands on the wooden railings and smiled._

 _Lucas still can't take his eyes off her. She looks absolutely stunning. He glances at her with a slightly crooked grin that is contagious and she smiles back in return. He pictured this moment in his head many times, he practiced in the mirror, he practiced in his dreams and he even practiced to a drawing he made of her. But suddenly all the words he had in mind, got washed away. This was his one chance to prove his innocence and to win her back. He couldn't screw this up._

 _"You look absolutely stunning," he compliments._

 _Although Riley did enjoy that brief moment she knew she was here for one reason only. To hear him out, not fall in love with his charms. "Lucas," she sighs._

 _"I know," he raises his hands in defense. "I know."_

 _He composed his thoughts and stared at the lampposts again. He rubbed the back of his neck and began, "I'm sorry. For...everything. I never meant to hurt you in any way, Riley," he stopped but figured that wasn't enough to see anything or change her mind. "I went to a party that night and I got drunk. Zay was my ride home and he didn't want to leave so he asked Missy to take me home and she did. That's all we did."_

 _Riley didn't look at him the entire time he spoke. His eyes wouldn't leave hers. There were so many questions she had to ask him, there were so many answers she needed to hear to change the way she was feeling for him right now. "Then how do you explain the trail of clothes?"_

 _He sighed, "I don't know. I don't even know what happened after I kissed her."_

 _"You what?" Riley stepped back._

 _"It sounds worse than it actually is."_

 _"Right..." she says in a salty manner that makes Lucas wince. He really wants her to believe him._

 _"It is. I was so drunk I thought she was you. That's all."_

 _"Now it sounds like being drunk is your excuse."_

 _He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Missy is my ex, Riley. I ended it with her back in March. I only kissed her because without the light, without your warmth, she looked exactly like you. And that's who I needed."_

 _"Me?"_

 _He nodded and went down to grab her hands. "I never meant to scare you. And I never meant to hurt you."_

 _A cold breeze passed them and Lucas stared at Riley, "Do you believe me? Anything?" Lucas wanted an answer faster than the speed of light, he wanted to know so they could return to being with each other. But for some reason, doubt stood in the way._

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 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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As they stepped inside, Lucas spread his arms and uttered, "Welcome to my cave." Riley chuckled a bit and turned back to face Lucas, giving him a light peck on the lips.

"It's bigger than I remember," she told him.

Once they were fully inside, Lucas started to pick up the scattered shirts, boxer briefs, and pants that laid on the floor. "Sorry about the mess, I haven't found the time to clean it."

"No, don't worry about it. I get it, my boyfriend's a hoarder," she said while kissing him once more. Lucas then proceeded to take off his jacket and kiss her neck, Riley looked around the room and found many trophies and medals on his bookshelf. She looked at the window that radiated all the light and then did a double take. Below the window were several cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other. She would've ignored it, but as Lucas deepened the kiss, curiosity took over. "Why do you have so many boxes?"

Lucas stopped kissing Riley's neck and turned to the boxes, "Those are letters."

She furrowed her brows, "Are they from your dad?"

He nodded, "About 98% of it. I have a few pictures of him that I don't really need or want, there are a few other things that just aren't important in general."

Riley's eyes fell on him, "You really want to throw it all out?"

"Yeah. I mean, everything in those boxes remind of the past. You, on the other hand, are my future," he said kissing her once more. When Riley didn't reciprocate, he pulled back and stared at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just...I don't think that's a smart idea. Don't you think you should throw it out after you talk to your dad? To see if you really want to do something like this."

"I'm not gonna talk to him, Riley."

"And why not?"

"Wait, hold on, that's what you think I should do? Talk to him?" Lucas asked, a bit confused.

"It would be smart if you did. I mean he is your dad after -"

"He's not my dad," Lucas said in a firm manner. It didn't take long before he realized that he had ruined their moment which was now overcome by silence. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"It's okay," she breathed. "I can't tell you what you can or cannot do, but please just think about it, for me?"

Before he could nod, Riley moved so Lucas wouldn't be on top of her anymore. She got off the bed but before she could take another step, Lucas got a hold of her. "Where are you going?"

"Chloe needs me," she lied _._ "Call me?"

"Wait, why don't we go somewhere with her?" He asked, looking up at Riley.

"What?" Riley asked, pretending she didn't hear the first time.

He nodded, "The last time I talked to her I was sort of being a jerk. C'mon, we'll go out to eat. Movies?"

"I'll asked her," she told him, knowing all to well Maya wouldn't find out about this.

"Thank you," he smiled. "Do you need a ride?"

"I got it," she kissed him once more and left him alone.

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Hours passed and Lucas found himself lying in bed, asleep.

He sat upright once he heard noise coming from downstairs. He didn't know what it was at first, it could've just been his head messing with him, but once he heard his mother's voice, Lucas didn't budge to rip the covers off his bed and stand up. Lucas figured he didn't have time to put on a shirt, nor did he have time to call someone. So picking up a bat and slightly opening the door, Lucas peeked his head through. His mom didn't sound like she was talking to anybody, she sounded like she was scared of somebody. So if someone was in his house, harassing his mom, then they are looking for a beat down.

Cautiously walking passed his mom's room and making sure she was in there, Lucas jumped to a conclusion. The woman downstairs was, in fact, his mother. It didn't add up though. His mother installed a five-star security system for two reasons. 1, to keep the burglars away, and 2, the most important one, his dad. He made his way down the stairs and into his mother's office. Once he approached the door, Lucas heard his mom. She wasn't scared nor was she talking to someone, she was arguing with someone.

 _"He doesn't want to talk you. I don't care if you've changed, I don't care if the woman you've knocked up wants you to do this, you will not talk to my son!"_

 _"No. You have no right. Once you laid a hand on me, you lost more than just my love for you." Katherine barked._

Lucas gripped the bat tighter than before, he never expected Peter to talk to her.

 _Katherine scoffed, "He's been ignoring you? Yeah, well maybe that's because he realized how big of a waste of time you are. Call me one more time and I'm calling the police!"_

Lucas thought that once he opened the door, his mom would notice, but he was wrong.

"Lucas" she said in shock. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Not enough. It was him, wasn't it?" Lucas found it stupid to ask this but he needed to know. He wanted to see her nod, he wanted to be angry at Peter.

She quickly wiped her eyes and set the phone down, "Go back to bed."

He shook his head no and walked over towards her, "How many times did he call?"

Katherine nestled herself in her son's embrace and sighed. "Seventeen times."

"Next time he calls, hand me the phone. If I'm-"

"No. Lucas-"

"Mom," he said in a firm manner. "It's my turn to protect us."

She nodded.

"If I'm not here, don't answer the phone to him. Got it?"

Katherine managed to let out a sigh of relief. She kissed her son's shoulder and hugged him again.

A man doesn't leave his family, he stays even when the times get rough.

A man such as Peter doesn't leave only to want back in, it never, and has never worked that way.

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 **A/N: I should really put warnings on topics like these. I don't mean to offend anyone who has gone through stuff such as this. Wives, children, etc. have all forgiven dads who have walked out on them, while others haven't. It's just the place I have Lucas and Katherine in that makes me choose the course of the story. Hope I didn't offend anyone. I initially wanted to end this chapter with a cliffhanger so you guys could be exited for the next chapter, but ima let ya'll try and figure it out. Any guesses? ;);)**

 **P.S: I think I just finished writing the last chapter to this story...**


	26. Forgive Hate

**A/N: Not a lot of you guys will be satisfied with this chapter. I had originally had a different ending and outcome, but I couldn't seem to let it go. So I went back and changed the ending and made it into something I could live with, and something I could understand - because all I did was antagonize a character to make the ending easier. Hopefully you guys understand this and not choose to hate me for what you are about to read. As always, let me know what you think - I can take it.**

 **amymayy2003: Beau, wait till the next chapters, you'll be jumping high. Love your reviews. :)**

 **ArabellaRoseD: Maya wants Riley to be mad at Lucas so she could break him sooner than later. She wants her to be angry at him, so he could look guilty. About Lucas talking to his dad...very, very soon. Riley and Lucas will always shine through, but not in the way you guys will expect. And thank you so, so, so much. But you have** **approximately...seven weeks to live.  
And please, I don't mind your rambling...in fact I love it. **

**JJ: No, the last chapter has yet to come. I might go on a two week hiatus which will postpone the final chapter release date, so...brace yourselves. When I made Lucas have a complicated life and a not so great father, I knew there would be a moment where they would talk and finally meet - so soooooon. A lot of people won't like me for the way the Rilaya friendship will go. I guess I'll have to see.**

 **naelacy: Lucas is one of my favorite characters on the show. I think he's my second favorite, Riley being the first. Lucas wants to start meeting people in Riley's family or people close to her, this is a hint for later chapters. And yeah, if they were to hang out, Maya would start to suspect that Lucas is a little too comfortable with her. And let's not forget Maya dated Lucas before Riley did. So he might recognize her.**

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 _Riley was on cloud nine the entire walk home. She was genuinely happy because now she could talk to Lucas and just be with him in general. The weeks she was away from him migrated so slowly she felt like they were angry for centuries. As she closed the door to Maya's house and sauntered towards her room, how dare you mode had been activated. Maya had helped Missy in the scheme they pulled off and Riley was nowhere near happy._

 _"When did you plan on telling me?" she questioned the blonde._

 _Maya furrowed her brows and stared at her. She set her pencil down on the paper and stood up, "Plan on telling you what?"_

 _"I know you did it, Maya. I know you helped Missy."_

 _She smirked._

 _"I'm sorry, is this amusing to you?" she questioned._

 _"I never said it was."_

 _Riley's blood boiled. She was angry and so disappointed in Maya. "Why?"_

 _"Why?" Maya questioned. "Because someone needed to get things done. You said you wanted to break Lucas, what happened?"_

 _"I'm still working on it," Riley defended. Had she? She didn't know. The reasons she's with Lucas don't even come into mind anymore. She forgets all about it when she's with him or around him._

 _"Well...no offense, darling...but you aren't doing your job."_

 _"I work at my own pace."_

 _"Then your pace isn't good enough. I'm surprised he hasn't even tried to sleep with someone else."_

 _"So that's why you did it? He wouldn't cheat on me so you wanted to make it look like he did?"_

 _Maya walked out her room and into the kitchen._

 _"I can't believe you."_

 _"I can't believe you," Maya retaliates. "You've been with Lucas for over a month. And all you've been doing is falling for him this whole damn time."_

 _She shakes her head no. Riley didn't want Maya's words to be true, she didn't want Maya to know._

 _Maya scoffs. "You're starting to like him."_

 _"Am not."_

 _"Are too," she responds. "And after all this time..." a tear rolls down her cheek, "You know I saw you as my sister. I thought that maybe if you broke his heart it would make our bond stronger, I was wrong."_

 _Riley didn't say anything._

 _"If you don't like him like you say you do, then start breaking him. It's been a long time, how long does it take Lucas Friar to fall in love?" Maya walked passed Riley and nudged her along the way._

 _Riley didn't know if she was ready to finally put an end to Lucas. And to be honest with him about the reasons she was with him all this time. Could she do it?_

 _She didn't know._

 _But instead of asking if she could do it...she should be asking if she would do it._

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 _Hours passed and Lucas found himself lying in bed, asleep._

 _He sat upright once he heard noise coming from downstairs. He didn't know what it was at first, it could've just been his head messing with him, but once he heard his mother's voice, Lucas didn't budge to rip the covers off his bed and stand up. Lucas figured he didn't have time to put on a shirt, nor did he have time to call someone. So picking up a bat and slightly opening the door, Lucas peeked his head through. His mom didn't sound like she was talking to anybody, she sounded like she was scared of somebody. So if someone was in his house, harassing his mom, then they are looking for a beat down._

 _Cautiously walking passed his mom's room and making sure she was in there, Lucas jumped to a conclusion. The woman downstairs was, in fact, his mother. It didn't add up though. His mother installed a five-star security system for two reasons. 1, to keep the burglars away, and 2, the most important one, his dad. He made his way down the stairs and into his mother's office. Once he approached the door, Lucas heard his mom. She wasn't scared nor was she talking to someone, she was arguing with someone._

 _"He doesn't want to talk you. I don't care if you've changed, I don't care if the woman you've knocked up wants you to do this, you will not talk to my son!"_

 _"No. You have no right. Once you laid a hand on me, you lost more than just my love for you." Katherine barked._

 _Lucas gripped the bat tighter than before, he never expected Peter to talk to her._

 _Katherine scoffed, "He's been ignoring you? Yeah, well maybe that's because he realized how big of a waste of time you are. Call me one more time and I'm calling the police!"_

 _Lucas thought that once he opened the door, his mom would notice, but he was wrong._

 _"Lucas" she said in shock. "How much of that did you hear?"_

 _"Not enough. It was him, wasn't it?" Lucas found it stupid to ask this but he needed to know. He wanted to see her nod, he wanted to be angry at Peter._

 _She quickly wiped her eyes and set the phone down, "Go back to bed."_

 _He shook his head no and walked over towards her, "How many times did he call?"_

 _Katherine nestled herself in her son's embrace and sighed. "Seventeen times."_

 _"Next time he calls, hand me the phone. If I'm-"_

 _"No. Lucas-"_

 _"Mom," he said in a firm manner. "It's my turn to protect us."_

 _She nodded._

 _"If I'm not here, don't answer the phone to him. Got it?"_

 _Katherine managed to let out a sigh of relief. She kissed her son's shoulder and hugged him again._

 _A man doesn't leave his family, he stays even when the times get rough._

 _A man such as Peter doesn't leave only to want back in, it never, and has never worked that way._

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 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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Time.

That's what Lucas counted.

He counted the minutes, the hours, the days, the months, the year...and then he gave up. It was never going to happen and nine years later it did. He remembered being scared and confused, he remembered loving and hating his dad at the same time all the while he hoped his mom would love him the same. Lucas feared that one day his mom would look at him and fear for his future, she'd cry and shut him about because he'd look exactly like his father.

Lucas would someday look like the man that placed the heaviest burden on his mom.

So he waited here, in the farthest booth from the entrance to the diner. He intentionally chose the booth that was isolated from the others, he knew how this conversation would turn out; and if it did, he didn't want anyone near listening to their talk.

He originally thought the oldest chapter in his life was over. He thought he could finally burn the pages and rip them out so he would never have to go back and read them, but the chapter only existed so he _could_ go back. So he could go back and find out why.

A minute later not only was the same guy that brought so many memories in front of him, but so was the fear. The fear that Lucas carried just for him. '

Emerald eyes mirrored his own.

Peter whispered, "Hi."

Lucas wished he could've said something, but it was as if he was paralyzed and drawn from the ability to speak.

When Lucas answered his call, Peter had nearly gasped aloud. He never in a million years expected this. "I'm glad you answered the phone. I-I never expected you to."

"I never expected you to want us again," Lucas voiced. "But..."

Peter nodded. He understood his son's reason to be angry. "I know you're wondering how I found you. And I...I wouldn't have been able to if it wasn't for Zay."

Lucas hung his head in disappointment.

"You don't need to be angry at him. Zay had his heart in the right place, don't hold him for that."

Lucas sipped from his mug, the coffee stung which helped throw back the crazy emotions he was feeling.

"All I ever wanted for you and your brother was to be happy. I loved your mother, Lucas. But when I couldn't handle..."

"Thomas' death," Lucas continued for him. Years ago uttering the words would've caused him endless hours of tears. He'd remember hating himself for forgetting he had a twin and he'd ignore anyone and everyone in his life. But as the words came out his mouth, he didn't feel any pain. It felt normal.

Peter nodded, "I'm still not completely over it."

"Mom isn't either," Lucas answered.

That made him feel better in some way. "How is she by the way?"

"Fine," he answered, firmer than ever.

Peter understood his reasons for being subtle once again. "As I was saying...it was just too much for me to handle. And because of that, I turned to the first thing I could think of."

Lucas already knew the answer to that. Before he could say anything the waitress stopped at their table with a pencil and notebook in hand. "All right, what can I get for you guys?"

"I'll take a coffee. The uh, bacon and eggs would be fine." Peter responded as he turned to his son.

Lucas reached for his wallet and pulled out his ID, he stared at Peter before his eyes turned to the waitress. "Schnapps, please."

The waitress stared at the ID and nodded, she turned on her heels and walked away.

"Lucas-"

"You have until the waitress comes back with your food to convince me your worthy of being in our lives. She'll be back with your coffee and my... choice of drink before she brings you your food. That gives you plenty of time. And I suggest you talk as fast and as clear as you can with as much reason as possible. That is if you want to be in my life."

Peter stared at his son in disbelief.

"Never said it would be easy."

"Son-"

"Don't," Lucas growled. "You don't get to do that."

Peter nodded. Part of wanting to see Lucas again meant that he had a shot, but with the way things were going Peter could only hope for the worst. "I don't want what you think of me to last forever. I've changed. And I'm just asking for a second chance. I want you in my life Lucas, I want to be in your life. The only way that's going to happen is if you accept me for what I've done. And I'm not expecting you to forgive me right away, I know it will take time. But please, please forgive me."

"It's been nine years. You've been trying to contact me for eight months. I don't know what you were doing in that time." Lucas drew a shaky breath. "The only way I could possibly see the good in you is if you tell me what you did in those eight years."

"I can't filter what you perceive of me, Lucas. So I won't. After your mother and you left Texas I did some other things I'm not proud of. It wasn't just alcohol anymore."

Pounds of bricks slammed into Lucas the minute he understood what Peter was saying.

"I stopped," he advised. "I stopped." He repeated himself because he didn't want Lucas to assume he was an addict.

"I got help and I went away for five months. I've been sober, Lucas. And I still am."

"Rehab?"

Peter nodded. "That only happened seven months after you left. For the past years, I focused on myself. When I figured it was time I start seeking for your forgiveness, I had people track you down. Your mom must've been smart enough to prevent that from happening, so when I found Zay, he helped me find you."

"Did you pay him?"

"What?"

"Did you pay him?" he repeated.

"No, I did not. Lucas, I haven't done anything illegal to him."

The waitress placed both his and Peters drink on the table.

Lucas didn't touch his drink but Peter immediately drank from his coffee.

"While you were in Texas, getting high and drunk, I was having nightmares. The same one over and over again," he took a deep breath. "I was sleeping and I'd wake up and walk to the kitchen, your room was next to mine so I'd pass it every time. The door was always open and mom was lying on the floor, a pool of blood beside her. You were standing there, watching her with a beer in your hand. It took me a whole lot of time and really good friends to forget about the things you've done. And...I-I never told mom about them because _you_ were involved, I hated you. But now, after nine years, I don't think I care anymore."

He watched him carefully, "I thought I was turning into you for a while. I would get so angry and all I wanted to do was hit something. Anything. I guess the destruction that would come out of it was somehow pleasing to me."

"Did it stop?"

His finger drew circles on the table, "I've been working on it."

Peter stared at his fingers before his eyes went to his drink again. "I know it will."

There was a silence between them. A very awkward silence. "You're a good looking guy, Peter. You'll have more children."

He raised a brow.

"I'm not an idiot," he stated. Lucas' voice was filled with disappointment. As he stared at a very confused Peter, Lucas couldn't help but pour his feelings out. "You said you've been sober, but this drink has only been sitting in front of you for two short minutes and you've already stared at it more than fifteen times. It's not even alcohol...it's apple juice. The waitress has known me for years now, she knows the ID is fake."

Lucas knew it was wrong to test Peter this way. He knew that his decision would come by what he felt at the moment, but Peter was an amazing liar. Lucas had to know the truth. "I don't hate you, Peter. I don't think I have that much energy in me anymore." he stared at him, "...but I know that what you told me was true. I know you're capable of feeling regret, I know that you want to be in my life, I know that you feel guilty for what you've done, but don't let alcohol and drugs compromise your judgments. You're addicted to it. And for that, I don't think I can ever forgive you."

Peter couldn't say anything, he could just stare at Lucas.

"I don't hate you, but don't mistaken that for your forgiveness." He took out his wallet and left 20 dollars on the table. "I'm glad I talked to you. I'm glad I don't feel guilt for what you've done, I'm not angry. But...what you said wasn't enough for me to forgive you."

He stood up and left the diner. Part of leaving meant he'd never see him again, but Lucas hadn't seen him for nine years. He could do it again, again, and again for a lifetime. Peter is the past, his life is the future.

He couldn't spend the rest of his life being pulled back by the man he doesn't hate.

He couldn't spend the rest of his life being pulled back by the man that beat his mother.

He couldn't spend the rest of his life being pulled back by the man who chose alcohol over his son and over his wife.

He wasn't being pulled back anymore. The past was Peter. The future was his happiness.

His happiness was Riley.

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He went home that day with a mind full of thoughts. Lucas had never been so sure of a decision in his entire life.

When he opened the door to his room, Lucas was surprised to find Riley. Her hair was down, stopping at just the top of her shoulders, curled. She looked beautiful in his shirt. She spread her hands and Lucas hugged her. He kissed her forehead and leaned his own against hers.

Riley's eyes were on him. She was expecting an answer and when he shook his head, she found that answer. But she wasn't mad. She just hugged him.

Lucas sighed and breathed in Riley's scent.

"I couldn't do it," he told her.

"It's okay, Lucas. You didn't have to."

"I forgave myself, instead," he said.

Riley raised a brow.

"I forgive myself for hating him. Even though I had every right to, I realized I could live a life without forgiving someone, but I can't live a life hating someone."

Riley hugged him once again.

Lucas nestled himself in their embrace. Within every second, he found himself loving Riley more and more. She had been with him for better and for worst, just like a relationship should be. And that's what they were. But the more and more he branded his feelings for her as 'like' the more he realized 'like' doesn't fall anywhere near the spectrum. He didn't 'like' her.

He loved her.

He stared into her eyes and smiled. His feelings were genuine.

His love for her was genuine.

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 **A/N: I know a lot of you won't like the way Lucas and Peter worked out. But the message I was trying to tell you guys all this time was about knowing it's possible to live a life without forgiving someone, but it's impossible to live a life hating someone. I very much believe in that. Many people will have different opinions, I guess you'll just have to respect the outcome.  
** **As for Rucas, they are imperfect. They were never meant to be perfect and they know that. I wrote earlier in the chapter that happiness was Lucas' future and that happiness was Riley. That should answer how the story is going to end. They are going to get their own happily ever after. Now we know Lucas loves Riley. Will we find out if Riley loves Lucas?**


	27. Stars Dance

**A/N: I really liked the feed back I received for the previous chapter. I've been a little busy over the passed weeks so I hope that doesn't interfere with the time I should have to post a chapter. Thank you guys once again for the continuous support, it truly means a whole lot. I was asked how was I going to wrap up this story in only four chapters, my response: the chapters are so fucking long!**

 **naelacy: Exactly. That is what I wanted people to know. Hate is so strong, it's something no one should have for someone else. GMW inspired the way I wrote that chapter because Maya didn't forgive her dad, and that is what I wanted Lucas to do. Some people make mistakes, some of those mistakes are SO huge that you can't forgive someone for that. And yes. Rucas is imperfect, but that is what makes them beautiful. Yes, Rucas will prevail. But will they prevail in the way we want them to?**

 **ArabellaRoseD: We are crying with you. It's not just you, it's all of us. Yes, I knew from the very beginning that Lucas would always watch out for his mom and for himself, he won't just let Peter back in without testing him, or without knowing he is fully sober. I don't think I've had Rucas say "I love you" yet. So who knows? Will they say those words? And exactly! Maya and Lucas are completely different. And Maya will soon realize that all that anger she has for Lucas will only weaken her. She'll realize she lost her best friend because of it. (That was a major hint). And I NEVER mind a long review - it only shows me you truly care for this show. I don't know if there is going to be a sequel. I don't know what it will be about. So far nothing has been in the works. I have no plan for anything after this. So who knows. All I want right now is for people you focus on _Dangerous_ Woman. **

**volleyballer82: Thank you. All I want is for people to learn from this story. To take it seriously and not just see it as a fanfic. I want it to serve a purpose. There is a Rucas moment that I wrote, three months ago and had in mind long before this story even began, you'll love it…and you'll read it sooner than soon.**

 **amymayy2003: Yes. Was that Agnes? And keep in mind Lucas is 18 and Riley is 17, still pretty young to have children. Love you too.**

 **Josie: Yes. I am. It's already written. I'm just waiting for it to be released. After this chapter I am going on a two week hiatus - there are some stuff I have to deal with. The chapter should be up on the 23rd of this month.**

 **Disagree: The way I interpreted it was that Lucas has the ability to not be taunted by his actions at times. He'll forget, but he won't forgive. When Lucas didn't forgive Peter, he pushed him out of his life. He pushed him far enough so he wouldn't be hurt later on. So he wouldn't have forgave the man who falls back into his old habits when he's bored.**

 **JJ: Yeah, people can really relate to things such as this. I didn't want to ignore it, especially since i've brought up Lucas' dad for more than half this story. I didn't want to not have them talk about what happened. Always, thank you so much.**

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 _As they stepped inside, Lucas spread his arms and uttered, "Welcome to my cave." Riley chuckled a bit and turned back to face Lucas, giving him a light peck on the lips._

 _"It's bigger than I remember," she told him._

 _Once they were fully inside, Lucas started to pick up the scattered shirts, boxer briefs, and pants that laid on the floor. "Sorry about the mess, I haven't found the time to clean it."_

 _"No, don't worry about it. I get it, my boyfriend's a hoarder," she said while kissing him once more. Lucas then proceeded to take off his jacket and kiss her neck, Riley looked around the room and found many trophies and medals on his bookshelf. She looked at the window that radiated all the light and then did a double take. Below the window were several cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other. She would've ignored it, but as Lucas deepened the kiss, curiosity took over. "Why do you have so many boxes?"_

 _Lucas stopped kissing Riley's neck and turned to the boxes, "Those are letters."_

 _She furrowed her brows, "Are they from your dad?"_

 _He nodded, "About 98% of it. I have a few pictures of him that I don't really need or want, there are a few other things that just aren't important in general."_

 _Riley's eyes fell on him, "You really want to throw it all out?"_

 _"Yeah. I mean, everything in those boxes remind of the past. You, on the other hand, are my future," he said kissing her once more. When Riley didn't reciprocate, he pulled back and stared at her. "What's wrong?"_

 _"Nothing, I just...I don't think that's a smart idea. Don't you think you should throw it out after you talk to your dad? To see if you really want to do something like this."_

 _"I'm not gonna talk to him, Riley."_

 _"And why not?"_

 _"Wait, hold on, that's what you think I should do? Talk to him?" Lucas asked, a bit confused._

 _"It would be smart if you did. I mean he is your dad after -"_

 _"He's not my dad," Lucas said in a firm manner. It didn't take long before he realized that he had ruined their moment which was now overcome by silence. "I'm sorry, I just..."_

 _"It's okay," she breathed. "I can't tell you what you can or cannot do, but please just think about it, for me?"_

 _Before he could nod, Riley moved so Lucas wouldn't be on top of her anymore. She got off the bed but before she could take another step, Lucas got a hold of her. "Where are you going?"_

 _"Chloe needs me," she lied. "Call me?"_

 _"Wait, why don't we go somewhere with her?" He asked, looking up at Riley._

 _"What?" Riley asked, pretending she didn't hear the first time._

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 _He went home that day with a mind full of thoughts. Lucas had never been so sure of a decision in his entire life._

 _When he opened the door to his room, Lucas was surprised to find Riley. Her hair was down, stopping at just the top of her shoulders, curled. She looked beautiful in his shirt. She spread her hands and Lucas hugged her. He kissed her forehead and leaned his own against hers._

 _Riley's eyes were on him. She was expecting an answer and when he shook his head, she found that answer. But she wasn't mad. She just hugged him._

 _Lucas sighed and breathed in Riley's scent._

 _"I couldn't do it," he told her._

 _"It's okay, Lucas. You didn't have to."_

 _"I forgave myself, instead," he said._

 _Riley raised a brow._

 _"I forgive myself for hating him. Even though I had every right to, I realized I could live a life without forgiving someone, but I can't live a life hating someone."_

 _Riley hugged him once again._

 _Lucas nestled himself in their embrace. Within every second, he found himself loving Riley more and more. She had been with him for better and for worst, just like a relationship should be. And that's what they were. But the more and more he branded his feelings for her as 'like' the more he realized 'like' doesn't fall anywhere near the spectrum. He didn't 'like' her._

 _He loved her._

 _He stared into her eyes and smiled. His feelings were genuine._

 _His love for her was genuine._

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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Riley walked inside Lucas' home and froze.

She eyed the piece of clothing just steps away from her and raised a brow. Riley opted to walk towards it and when she did; she realized it was a bra. She walked up the stairs and walked into Lucas' bedroom.

She felt different. Very different.

Lucas' house was bright as day when she ascended the stairs. When she reached the second floor Lucas' room was a few feet away. She approached his bedroom door without hesitation.

When the door swung open, Lucas was strapped to a chair and a girl stood in front of him. She wore dark clothes and her hair was long and curly, she turned around and Riley's eyes widened.

It was like she was staring at a mirror. The girl in front of Riley looked exactly like her. From the nose to the eyes, same dimples and cheekbones; they were identical.

"Well, as if it wasn't expected," she utters and smirks. She turns back to Lucas.

"Riley. You need to run. GO!" Lucas bellowed.

Riley couldn't react fast enough, she couldn't even process what was going on. It was as if she was frozen. The girl approached her and pulled her into the room, she slammed the door and turned to Riley. "It's funny, don't you think?"

Riley raised a brow and stepped back.

"How you managed to win over his heart when no other girl could?"

She stares at Lucas then back at Riley, "Makes me wonder. What is it that he sees in you? I mean, he's slept with practically every girl in town. Some who are prettier, some who give miracles in bed, but poor little Riley Matthews just had to sing to his best friend."

The girl inched closer to her. She stopped when Riley's back was pressed against the wall. "I wonder if he knows why you sang to the best friend and not him instead."

"Let her go! You already have me."

"That's where you're wrong," she says. "Trust me, you're gonna wanna hear this?" Her eyes fell on Riley. "Tell him!"

Riley couldn't move. Part of her was still shocked by what could be her twin. Millions of thoughts ran through her hair and she couldn't seem to act on them.

"Or I will."

"Riley, what-what is she talking about?"

There was a silence for a few seconds.

Lucas stared at her, she looked exactly like Riley, the only difference was the hair. Riley's hair was shorter whereas the other Riley's hair was curly and long. "Whatever fantasy you have about who she is and what you are to her, it's all bullshit."

He stared at Riley, then back at the girl in front of him.

"Stop," Riley whispered. She tried to make herself clearer and louder but nothing was happening.

"You only know she exists because she wanted to break your heart! She just wanted you to fall for her so she could break you, just like you did to every girl you've been seen with."

Lucas stared at Riley as a pool of tears gathered in his eyes. "Is this true?"

She couldn't speak. All she could do was cry. She wanted to move or defend herself but nothing was letting her do that. It was as if she was frozen.

The girl leaned towards Lucas, she enjoyed watching him like this. "You feel that? That empty, heartbroken feeling? That's what it feels like to get close to Riley Matthews."

He stared at Riley before the tears rolled from his eyes down to his chin.

"Don't believe her," she yelled. "It's not true." She wasn't sure if the words came out but they seemed to have. "Don't believe her."

"Choose what you want to believe, Lucas. But something tells me you believe me."

"I do," he states. Riley stepped back, his voice was firm and full of hate.

She walked out the door and turned around to look at Riley, she smirked and scoffed.

 _Then she was gone._

Riley turned back to look at him. He was no longer sitting on a chair, he was standing up.

"Lucas let me explain-" She stopped approaching him when he interrupted her.

"There's nothing you need to explain to me."

"I'm sorry," she followed him down the stairs. "Please, Lucas."

He ignored her. She kept calling his name but he wouldn't answer. She didn't even have time to question who the hell that was in the room with them. How did she know?

When Lucas didn't turn to look at her, Riley pulled on his hand. Lucas waved her off but this movement caused him to slip. He fell down the rest of the stairs.

Riley gasped as she watched him fall. When he landed flat on the ground everything went black.

 _Pitch black!_

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Riley woke up that night drenched in sweat. She sat upright and looked all around her. When she realized she was in Maya's bedroom, on her bed, she sighed.

It was just a dream.

Everything she did to try and go back to sleep did not work. She just couldn't close her eyes without seeing Lucas. It was beyond the scariest thing she's ever dreamed of.

The only way she drew morning to a close was by going out for a run. She ran the same course Lucas ran every morning. It was quite exhausting but Lucas was far from her mind.

As she almost reached her destination, Riley was dressed in adrenaline and sweat. She was tired and exhausted.

Except only when she turned around she found Lucas. He didn't have a shirt which only made possible impossible. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

He went in to kiss Riley but she stepped back. "I just needed to get away."

"Away from what?"

She smiled and giggled nervously. "Don't have time. I gotta go."

He extended his hand and stopped her. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her but Riley jerked away from his lips and dogged his kiss. It's not that she didn't want to kiss him. She really did. In fact, ever since they've been together Riley couldn't help but want to kiss him.

It was remembering the kiss that would keep reminding her of Lucas.

He raised a brow and stepped back.

"Is something wrong?"

"Of course not."

He stared at Riley for a good four seconds before he stepped back and let her pass. "Go on."

She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek before she continued to walk.

 _Something was definitely wrong._

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Riley stepped out of the shower and walked towards the empty room. Normally Maya would be there lying in her bed but today she wasn't. In fact, Riley hadn't seen her in at least three days. She could've taken the time she had alone for granted and idled her time watching tv, but something in her gut refrained her from that. The truth is, Riley had been thinking about telling Lucas the truth. The ENTIRE truth. After having that dream and watching Lucas fall down those stairs everything changed. Riley didn't like seeing Lucas hurt. And how would she do it if their plan ended with hurting Lucas?

She left the bathroom with a white robe wrapped around her body. She found her way to the living room where Katy sat.

"Hey Katy, have you seen Maya?"

"She's with her friends dear, why? Do you need her?"

She scratched her head and fluffed out her hair. "Yeah."

"Well, is it about Lucas?"

Riley contemplated on telling her. Should she know she's only with Lucas because she has to seduce him?

Instead, she planned on making up a lie. Something she's gotten good at.

"Lucas doesn't know his best friend might have feelings for me?" She didn't know how this would go but it was too late to back out.

Katy set her book down and turned to Riley. She patted for her to sit. "What friend is this?"

She didn't know either. "I'd rather not say."

Katy understood. "And you think Lucas should know?"

Riley nodded. In a way, what she was telling Katy did relate. They were both secrets and it required Lucas finding out about something.

"Honey, Lucas has every right to know. He is your boyfriend after all."

"I know. And you're right he does deserve to know. But I know Lucas. He won't take the news well."

"Then talk to the best friend. Tell him your feelings are strictly for Lucas."

"I've already tried that. He hasn't stopped."

"Then he's not a loyal friend. Therefore Lucas deserves to know."

Riley bit her lip. How could she make this relate to what was actually happening?

"What if the best friend has been trying to break us up? What if there was a complication between us and he was to blame because of it?"

"Then Lucas needs to know. Honey, the best advice I can give you in a relationship: is honesty. He deserves to know. Would you want to know?"

Riley nodded. This really helped answer her question. "Thank you, Katy."

She walked into Maya's room and found her phone on the dresser. She threw herself on the bed and dialed Lucas' number.

"Babe," his voice was raspy.

"Lucas. Hey, um...I couldn't talk earlier but maybe we can talk tomorrow. Breakfast?" She heard him sigh.

"Is everything okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I just, I thought you were mad at me."

"Why would I be mad?"

"Well, maybe because you didn't let me kiss you today. You haven't called me-"

"I'm calling you know."

"At ten in the night. We always talk around six."

"I know. I've just been under the weather. We can talk tomorrow."

"Come over?"

"I'll be there around eight," she played with her hair the remainder of their talk.

"Kay. See you then."

"Good night, Riley." Lucas ended the call and rolled over on his bed. Feeling slightly better now that he was certain Riley was okay.

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He woke up the next morning drowsier than usual. He put on his gray sweatpants and walked out his room. He massaged his eyes as he walked down the stairs but when he reached the kitchen Lucas' eyes went wide. The smell of eggs, bacon and coffee radiated from the kitchen and just then his stomach rumbled.

He was tired and could barely see a thing in front of him.

"Lucas, Riley's here."

He turned his head to where he heard the voice come from. Katherine was placing three strips of bacon onto a plate but in front of his mom was Riley. He approached Riley and gave her a kiss on the lips. He then kissed his mom on the cheek.

"You're mom showed me a whole bunch of baby pictures," Riley advised him. Lucas scoffed and Riley giggled. "C'mon, you were cute. With the chubby cheeks and the perfect smile."

"We can't say that about him now," Katherine chimed in.

Riley stared at Lucas and saw that his hair was standing and unkempt. She only realized it made him look hotter. Especially since he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"He's still adorable."

"Enough," he laughed. "I gotta remember to hide those pictures when you come over."

She smiled.

The three proceeded to eat their breakfast and occasionally laugh. Riley was having such a great time she almost forgot the reason she was there in the first place. The rest of their morning wasn't the same after that. She idled her time thinking about how she was going to tell him. That kept happening until Lucas parked his car where he normally dropped Riley off. She never let him drive her any further.

"I'm glad you weren't mad at me, Riley. I would've been very confused."

She just smiled. If she was going to tell him, she was glad it was happening somewhere near Maya's house. So he could just kick her out his truck and Riley wouldn't have much to walk. "Listen, Lucas-"

His phone rang and he decided to answer it then and there. "Yeah, she's still with me. Okay," he turned to look at her. "I could ask. Yeah. Be there in a few minutes."

"Who was that?"

"It was my mom," he said as he placed his phone in his jeans. "She wants to know if you would like to participate in a pageant?"

"A what?"

"A pageant," he continued. "We talked about this last night and my mom wanted you to be in it. I told her I'd ask you."

"Wh-what does it mean?"

He chuckled, "Means you get to do a dance with me and people will get to watch..."

"Okay..."

Lucas continued, "And there will be people that rate you in appearance, if you win, which I bet you will, you get to be crowned Miss WaterLake."

"But-"

"So, what do you say?"

"Yes," the words came out before she could take them back. Lucas smiled and pecked her lips.

"You won't regret it, I promise."

He kissed her again and smiled. "I almost forgot. You wanted to tell me something-"

"It's nothing. I'll see you later."

He nodded and Riley got out the truck.

She looked at him and smiled before she closed the door to his truck. As she turned her back on him Riley swallowed the lump of truth down her neck and proceeded to walk straight onto the sidewalk. She was about to turn around but before she could process the thought, Lucas had already drove off.

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The guilt ate at her the whole day. It distracted her from doing simple things, things so simple she found it hard staring at Maya's depressing paintings because they reminded her so much of him. She got off the bay window and sauntered towards his house. She was more than determined to tell him the truth, to break his heart with honesty then what she and Maya had originally planned on doing. When the door opened and it was Lucas in front of her, all that courage had dispersed. She sighed in disappointment at her lack of courage and looked at her shoes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "I just...I really needed to see you."

He smirked. "If it made you feel better I was about to call you."

He spread out his hands for Riley to embrace. When they hugged a light bulb went off in his head. "Hey, wait here for a sec."

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"I never realized there were so many stars," Riley said as she looked up. She rested her head on Lucas collarbone as his hand played with hers.

Lucas had drove her to a place in the woods near his home that sat under millions of stars.

"There's many of them," he said into her ear. He rested his forehead on the back of her head and took in the smell of her hair, nothing had ever smelled better. Lucas lived off of Riley's happiness, and right now he was high. He loved seeing her this way, flabbergasted by the beauty of things. She looked up at the stars while Lucas looked at her. It could've been anything and his eyes would've been on her. The world could've ended and he wouldn't have cared. As long as she was with him, nothing else mattered.

"See that right there, those group of stars. How they kind of look like a pan? That's the Big Dipper."

Riley looked at Lucas and smiled, "I see it."

"Move your eyes to the right and then up to that bright star..."

"Uh-huh," Riley nodded.

"That's the Polaris," he informed.

"Who knew you knew so much about stars?"

He chuckled, "When my mom and I first moved here I was so thrilled to find a get away place. This is it." She smiled at him, "And one night when I was fourteen, my science teacher gave me this paper with all the constellations and I stared at them for so long that I started to remember them."

She smiled, but then that smile faded. "Hey, Lucas."

"Yeah," his eyes went to hers. "You never told me what happened with you and your dad that morning."

"You already know how it turned out."

"You're right. But you never told me more than that."

He sighed.

"...unless you don't want to tell me."

"I don't hide secrets from you, Riley. I just," Suddenly desperate for comfort, Lucas reaches for Riley's hand and her fingers intertwine with his. "He's still the same liar. He might've changed. I saw the sincerity in his eyes, but the Peter I know...would choose alcohol over his own family any day."

She would be lying if she said it didn't hurt her that there was someone out there how would make such a choice, but she was happy Lucas was smart enough to know who would hurt him. "He missed out on two of the most amazing people I know," Riley comforted.

"Thanks Riley," Lucas nuzzled his chin in the crook of her neck. "Hey, how come I've never met your family?"

"What?" Riley questioned pretending she didn't hear him the first time.

"How come you haven't introduced me to your family?" he questioned. "And now that I've mentioned it, you've only mentioned them once."

"Well, what would you want to know?"

"Besides the whole cheating, how is he as a person?"

"My dad?"

He nodded.

"I never thought he'd do that, especially to the woman he's known since they were little. But, if I could look past it, and see my dad as...my dad, then I'd say he's the wisest man there is. He's taught me so much."

He nodded.

"Your mom?"

"Well, my mom is a lawyer. And that pretty much explains her personality."

Lucas chuckled.

"She's a strong independent woman. She's a feminist just like I am. We both flew to Washington to be in the Women's March."

Lucas nodded, "I can't wait to meet her."

Riley turned to look at the stars, completely ignoring what he said.

Lucas raised a brow, "Is that not what you want?"

She didn't give him an answer.

He took this as a 'no'. He licked his lips and loosened his grip on her.

"Lucas-"

He didn't look at her.

"You'll meet them one day. I promise you."

The promise felt sincere. Half of her did want Lucas to meet her parents, but the other half didn't want him to. Lucas doesn't know she lives in California, he doesn't know that her stay is coming to an end. And he probably won't know for another few weeks or so.

Looking out at the bright stars, Riley loses herself to thoughts and memories once again.

Meeting Lucas had been one of the best things that has ever happened to her. Going into this she thought Lucas would be hard to seduce, from the looks of it he doesn't look like he'd think twice about you. But he's the opposite of that. Sure, when he gets mad it can get out of hand. But he has known right from wrong and that's something Riley has always known is in him. He was just blinded from the past that he was stuck in between both right and wrong.

She couldn't help but want to describe their relationship as love.

Love.

That's what Lucas felt for Riley. And it wasn't the type of love that makes him nervous and make him stutter, no, it was the love where you can talk about anything; trust and honesty are involved, understanding is a main ingredient and so much more that can last him for a life time.

As he holds Riley in this comfortable embrace, he can't help but tell her he loves her. He wants to, but the moment isn't right. And it didn't have to be. But one way, or the other, those words were going to come out. And he intended for it to be... _unforgettable_.

She's precious, a one of a kind. She's his hope, his balance. She's saved him from despair when no on else could, she's been there to keep him human, to keep him grounded and open-minded. The best kind of love, is where it make you realize things. Where it brings out the best in you. And that's what Lucas found in Riley.

She brought out the best in him.

"I really like you, Riley."

She chuckled and turned to face him. "I really like you too, Lucas."

When their eyes met, Lucas was the first to lean in all the way. He didn't want to wait. He just needed her.

 _Wake up to your dreams_  
 _And watch them come true_  
 _I'll make you whisper my name, I'll never leave the room_  
 _Night and day, I'll be your muse_  
 _No other girl can make you feel the way I do_

Lucas stands on his knees and slides off his shirt in front of Riley, he leans forward and wraps his hand on her back. He presses one hand on the grass while he leans in and captures his lips with hers. He moves from her lips to her chin and from her chin to her jaw, then he lowers to her collarbone. Riley bites her lips at the tingling sensation and places her hand on his waist.

I can make the stars dance  
Light up the moon, I can make the stars dance  
If you want me to  
The sky is everywhere, so meet me under there  
I can make the stars dance dance dance with you

He smiles at first and then deepens the kiss. Riley then places both her hands on his back and presses him closer. She archs her back and just then Lucas focuses on something else, their body's.

Don't be afraid, close your eyes  
Let me take you to places that you've never been tonight  
I thought by know you'd realize I can do anything I put my mind to

I can make the stars dance  
Light up the moon, I can make the stars dance  
If you want me to  
The sky is everywhere, so meet me under there  
I can make the stars dance dance dance with you

A light moan escapes Riley and that's just what Lucas wanted to hear, her satisfaction. That showed him she wanted this just as much as he did.

Everything I touch turns to love  
Everything I do will open up heaven  
It's dead steady, there's falling and flying in love  
Nothing's forever because we are just stars, dance

Riley relaxes at his good-natured decisions after his hand stops unzipping her pants, he seems to know what she wants even when she doesn't. She feels safe with him, something no one has managed to do. The pact she made with Maya was forgotten, hidden under the hundreds of kisses she's shared with Lucas in the past weeks. She no longer was with Lucas for that reason, she was with him because she loves him and she wasn't afraid of it anymore. She wasn't scared to laugh into his ear when Lucas kissed her in the crook of her neck nor was she embarrassed to be herself.

I can make the stars dance  
Light up the moon, I can make the stars dance  
If you want me to  
The sky is everywhere, so meet me under there  
I can make the stars dance dance dance with you

I can make the stars dance  
I can make the stars dance  
I can make, I can make, I can make the stars dance

Lucas stops kissing her when he realizes he passed her limits, he wanted to be her blanket as much as he wanted to yell out the three simple words every girl wants to hear and every guy wants to say, but he didn't. Instead, he stares at her and says, "What are you doing to me, woman?"

She smiles, "What every guy needs."

The sky is everywhere, so meet me under there  
I can make the stars dance dance dance with you

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 **A/N: This is probably one of my favorite chapters so far. I'd like to thank _Friartale_ for being so damn patient. I worked with her for this chapter and she gave me some wonderful ideas. She has been waiting months for this. =) The song used in this chapter is called Stars Dance by Selena Gomez and I've been wanting to use this song. Remember every song used in this story serves a purpose. It explains the state Lucas and Riley are in as a couple or even as friends. A little fun fact, this chapter was already planned before I even started writing the third chapter in the story. Always let me know what you think and Guest's feel free to leave a review with a username. Thank you so much for reading.**

 **Chapter 28: June 23rd**


	28. The Pageant

**A/N: I know I said this chapter should be up on the 23rd but I changed my mind. I need this break more than you know. But I promised an ending to this story and you guys are getting it so you guys will get an update. Songs used in this chapter (in the order): Fallin' Alicia Keys, Inocente Romeo Santos, and Love On the Brain Rihanna. As always let me know what you think.**

 **amymayy2003: She came so close to telling him. But…will she tell him when she gets the chance?**

 **naelacy: The long chapters will continue to come. This is the longest chapter in the story so far. I'm still deciding to add on to what I already have written. And yes, Maya will get in the way of Riley and Lucas. She needs to talk to him and get a clear mind. I just love how Rucas is comfortable with each other.**

 **Softball: All I've asked for since the very beginning in patience. Most of my loyal readers understand that by now, and you should know that telling me to update will make me want to do the exact opposite. I am so grateful you re read this story and you should always know I tell you when the updates are coming. Which are every Fridays. I will always tell you if you're not getting an update from me the following week.**

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 _He went home that day with a mind full of thoughts. Lucas had never been so sure of a decision in his entire life._

 _When he opened the door to his room, Lucas was surprised to find Riley. Her hair was down, stopping at just the top of her shoulders, curled. She looked beautiful in his shirt. She spread her hands and Lucas hugged her. He kissed her forehead and leaned his own against hers._

 _Riley's eyes were on him. She was expecting an answer and when he shook his head, she found that answer. But she wasn't mad. She just hugged him._

 _Lucas sighed and breathed in Riley's scent._

 _"I couldn't do it," he told her._

 _"It's okay, Lucas. You didn't have to."_

 _"I forgave myself, instead," he said._

 _Riley raised a brow._

 _"I forgive myself for hating him. Even though I had every right to, I realized I could live a life without forgiving someone, but I can't live a life hating someone."_

 _Riley hugged him once again._

 _Lucas nestled himself in their embrace. Within every second, he found himself loving Riley more and more. She had been with him for better and for worst, just like a relationship should be. And that's what they were. But the more and more he branded his feelings for her as 'like' the more he realized 'like' doesn't fall anywhere near the spectrum. He didn't 'like' her._

 _He loved her._

 _He stared into her eyes and smiled. His feelings were genuine._

 _His love for her was genuine._

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 _Riley woke up that night drenched in sweat. She sat upright and looked all around her. When she realized she was in Maya's bedroom, on her bed, she sighed._

 _It was just a dream._

 _Everything she did to try and go back to sleep did not work. She just couldn't close her eyes without seeing Lucas. It was beyond the scariest thing she's ever dreamed of._

 _The only way she drew morning to a close was by going out for a run. She ran the same course Lucas ran every morning. It was quite exhausting but Lucas was far from her mind._

 _As she almost reached her destination, Riley was dressed in adrenaline and sweat. She was tired and exhausted._

 _Except only when she turned around she found Lucas. He didn't have a shirt which only made possible impossible. "Hey, what are you doing here?"_

 _He went in to kiss Riley but she stepped back. "I just needed to get away."_

 _"Away from what?"_

 _She smiled and giggled nervously. "Don't have time. I gotta go."_

 _He extended his hand and stopped her. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her but Riley jerked her away from his lips and dogged his kiss. It's not that she didn't want to kiss him. She really did. In fact, ever since they've been together Riley couldn't help but not want to kiss him._

 _It was remembering the kiss that would keep reminding her of Lucas._

 _He raised a brow and stepped back._

 _"Is something wrong?"_

 _"Of course not."_

 _He stared at Riley for a good four seconds before he stepped back and let her pass. "Go on."_

 _She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek before she continued to walk._

 _Something was definitely wrong._

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 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

Just as Riley arrived at Lucas's house she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. Once the screen faced her, she turned it on and smiled. A message from Lucas had popped up.

Lucas: Just walk inside. The rest of us are out back.

She slid her phone back into her pocket and opened the door to his house. When she walked past the foyer and into the drawing room a girl who looked slightly older than she did stopped and approached her.

"Riley?" she questioned.

"Shelly?" Riley asked. Shelly looked slightly different from the last time Riley saw her. Her hair had drastically changed since then. It was braided and longer than it was before.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Riley.

"What are you doing here?"

"A…uh pageant. You?"

"Same here."

She looked passed her as if she was expecting someone to walk in, "Where's Maya-?"

"Shh," she placed her finger on Shelly's lips, "Don't bring her up, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because she doesn't know I'm doing this. I told her I was going out for a walk. And Lucas doesn't know we're friends. So please, keep quiet."

"But awhile ago Maya said you guys were talking."

"I told her Lucas and I ended what he had," she lied. She didn't want her to know why she was here and why she was with Lucas.

"Oh."

"Promise me you won't tell her?"

"Look, girl, this is on you. If Maya asks, I never knew about this."

Riley nodded.

"But know that not everything passes Maya. You gotta be careful."

She watched as Shelly walked away. "Hopefully she doesn't."

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When Lucas asked Riley to be Miss WaterLake Riley never expected to see all of Maya's friends here too. As she stood in front of Lucas, Riley found herself not only staring at Shelly but at Mia, Vicky and another girl who looked fairly familiar.

Her gaze fell back on Lucas and he winked at her in lust. Next to him were his friends, Tyler, Farkle, Brandon, and Zay. She smiled back at Lucas and gestured for him to stop, even though she loved the feeling it gave her.

"Honor your partner," Katherine, Lucas mom, advised them.

Riley curtsied as Lucas bowed.

"First hand around," she guided as Lucas and Riley did so. "Remember to flirt with your eyes. You want the crowd to see how focused and attracted you are to each other," she walked around them and nodded.

"I'm attracted," Lucas whispered into Riley's ear.

"Left hand around."

As they rotated Lucas did the best he could to make Riley laugh.

"You're so ridiculous," she giggled.

"You're just mad because you don't know how to do this."

"Can you blame me? I've never done a pageant before. Do you know how to do this?"

"Both hands." They heard Katherine say.

"Of course I do. This is my second time."

"I don't believe you."

"Then how would I be able to do this," he pulled Riley close to him, twirled her and dipped her.

"Lucas," called Katherine. "Focus."

"Sorry, mom."

They continued with the dance for fifteen more minutes. Once Katherine took note that everyone had gotten the hang of it, she drew their practice to a close. "That's it for today. We'll pick this up again tomorrow. You guys will go on to do your separate dances, and before the pageant begins we will meet here. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Tyler answered.

"Good. I'll be inside if any of you need me."

The group of friends resumed their daily activities in a matter of seconds when they reached for their phones and isolated themselves from others.

"You know all this dancing doesn't seem as hard as it looks," Shelly informed. "Last year it looked like you were following a confusing pattern."

"That's because you were talking with Dan the whole time," Lucas answered. "You only turned to see the dance when everyone was clapping."

"That is very, very true," Tyler laughed as he sat down on the table near them. "All you guys did was kiss all the time."

"That would be because he has kissable lips."

"Which is why you found him kissing someone else..." Lucas finished for her.

"Friar," she warned.

He raised his hands in surrender before he broke into laughter.

"Be a shame if you found me kissing Riley," Shelly retaliated.

"It'd be sexy," he answered.

Riley smiled throughout their banter. She liked how Lucas acted around her. As she looked at them, she couldn't help but notice Farkle and the girl she couldn't recognize, staring at each other.

It looked like something was going on between them, something they didn't want anyone else to know.

A figure approached the girl and kissed her on the head. Once this happened Farkle turned to look the other way. And the girl didn't look as amused as she did before.

Her eyes went up to get a clear view of the figure and her eyes widened when she realized it was Zay. Then her eyes widened even more as the realization hit her. She remembered walking in on Farkle once, a few weeks back. He was standing next to a girl and it looked as if they had finished one of their "extra-curricular" activities.

Then the following day when Farkle was leaving, she heard him on the phone.

"We'll see. Look, I don't know. We're doing this behind his back and this is the first time I've done something like this, let alone sleep with the same girl my friend is dating."

"All right. Can we talk about this later? Zay is waiting for me in the car...Okay. Late."

It made sense now.

Farkle had been sleeping with Zay's girlfriend.

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"Riley, are you coming with?" Mia asked her as the group of girls gathered in the foyer.

Riley turned and her chestnut hair followed. She was in the middle of a conversation with Lucas when they called her name. "Coming where?"

"The mall. A dress store. We figured we'd get this out of the way before the pageant gets close. You coming?"

"Ahh," she looked at Lucas.

"You know you don't need to go," he said. "My mom knows a fashion designer. I can pull a few strings-"

"You already got me a dress, Lucas. I'll buy my own this time."

He nodded and smiled at her. "I can't wait to see you in it."

"I'll be outside in just a minute," she told them.

The girls walked out the door and Riley grabbed her purse. "We'll work on our dance tomorrow. I already know what we're gonna do."

"First thing tomorrow morning?"

"I'll be here."

Tyler walked into the foyer from behind Lucas and was there just in time to see Lucas kiss Riley. "Call me when you get home?"

"I will."

As she walked out the door Lucas turned around and found a very confused Tyler.

"I didn't know you two were - "

"That would be because you never bothered to ask," he said bitterly as he walked passed him.

"Since when did it start?"

"Since a while," his answers were vague.

"You're not gonna...you know...do anything to her, are you?"

"Of course not."

Tyler nodded before he walked away. Lucas couldn't help but raise a brow and watch him go. He decided not to question it.

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Riley closed the door to Maya's house and went straight to the kitchen. Once she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a Yoplait, she turned around only to release a gasp. "Oh my God, Maya. You almost drained the life out of me."

"Where were you? I've been calling you all day."

"I've been around," Riley answered as she walked towards their room.

"Around as in with Lucas."

Riley stopped in her tracks and turned to Maya, "Don't be ridiculous. You told me to keep my distance, and I am."

"Honey, you're gonna need to try harder," Maya stretched out her hand and showed Riley a picture of what happened to be her hand in hand with Lucas.

"How'd you get this?" she questioned. She didn't like the fact that someone was taking pictures of them.

"You promised me."

"I didn't promise you anything, Maya."

There was a silence between them. Maya's gaze was hard on Riley, she was angry and felt betrayed. "The pageant is coming up. Are you doing that too or-?"

"You want the truth or do you want me to say what you want to hear?"

"I can't believe you. You are so blinded you're almost delusional. Can't you see? Riley, this is what he does! This is why everyone falls for him. He uses charm, he plays nice - that's his form of deception. He's known for using the pageant as a magnet. He attracts girls and I bet you anything, anything, if he feels the same way you feel for him, he's gonna do whatever Lucas Friar can do to get underneath that dress of yours."

"Maya he's nothing you say he is-"

"I don't wanna hear it. You can't really be defending him because if you are ... you're pointless and pathetic."

"Can you stop?!" Riley yelled. "Just because he broke up with you and practically left you out in the cold, doesn't mean he's gonna do the same to me."

Maya scoffed, she couldn't believe what Riley was saying. "Do I seriously need to slap you right now?"

Riley ignored her and walked away. She wished it could end there, she wished it did end there. But Maya continued to attack her.

"If you don't go through with this Riley, you will never be welcomed here again. I don't care if we've been best friends since we were seven, I will never want to see you again."

Riley turned to Maya and sighed. She didn't like what Maya was saying. But she couldn't break Lucas' heart.

"If you think our friendship is more important than him, you have to prove it. Tomorrow, at the pageant you're going to end whatever type of relationship you guys have. The pageant is your alibi. When you win Miss WaterLake, you are going to tell him everything. Every single lie, every kiss...it'll all be hidden behind the truth. Think about it. You're gonna be the queen of the night! You'll feel unstoppable and then you'll use that to break poor Lucas Friar's heart."

Riley froze at Maya's plan. It seemed so perfect. If she won Miss WaterLake she'd have a title for herself. She wouldn't just be Lucas' girlfriend, she'd be Riley Matthews.

She blinked and stared at Maya, before flashing a smirk of her own.

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"Easy there," Riley told Lucas once she found his hand trailing down to her lower back. Their temples were pressing against the others as they danced to the fast paced music.

"You know it'd help if I actually understood what the guy was saying."

"You were supposed to take two years of a foreign language in school," Riley informed. "Have you?"

"Yes. I have. But this Spanish is just...it's too fluent."

She chuckled. "Just keep up. Follow my steps."

He did as told and got the hang of it. They had practiced their dance for hours and hours until one of them finally got it right. If one of them messed up, they'd have to start all over. Which they did, many, many times before. But not as often anymore.

Lucas dipped Riley and smiled at her. The song ended on cue.

"You're getting better, you know."

"Only because I have a great teacher to learn from," he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her five inches off the ground. Riley slid down kissing his lips.

"Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go use your guy's bathroom."

"Don't take long."

Riley chuckled. "Just practice the dance, will you?"

"I'll try not to miss you while you're gone."

As Riley sauntered up the stairs and into Lucas' room, Riley stopped at the sound of muttering coming from the other door parallel to Lucas' door. She placed her ear on the door and raised a brow.

"I just can't keep doing this to Zay," the voice sounded like Farkle.

"We've been doing this for months," the girl he was talking to didn't sound happy. "You're just now feeling guilty?"

"Emily, I'm sorry. If you're going to continue to be his girlfriend...you can't continue being mine."

"This was your fault in the first place. You kissed me-"

"Which is why I'm ending it. It was great while it lasted, hell, the sex was amazing, but...Zay is more important to both of us than what we have going."

The silence lasted for a few seconds. Riley stepped back from the closed door and walked into Lucas' room, pretending she didn't hear a word from them.

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Riley stared out the window and down to the guests in the back yard. She resumed her activities as she curled her hair and listened to the faint music in the back. Emily entered the room and walked straight to the mirror beside Riley. She smiled at her and fixed some pieces of her hair and dress.

"I'm Riley, by the way," she introduced herself.

Emily smiled, "Emily."

"This is my first time doing something like this. How unsettling does it get out there?"

"I wouldn't know," she chuckled. "This is my first time."

They laughed.

"You look beautiful. Lucas is a very lucky guy."

A few seconds later, Emily packed up her things and walked out the room. She waved at Riley before closing the door.

When Riley finished curling her hair and doing her makeup, she stared at herself in the mirror. She had her hair in a soft braided updo with strands falling out to frame her face. Her face was graced and lightened with makeup, all she needed to do was take off her robe and get into the dress behind her.

As she approached the dress Riley couldn't help but smile. She really wanted to look beautiful tonight.

She placed the dress on the rack and began to slip out of her robe. But before she could slide it off, Lucas opened the door and walked in.

"Lucas," she quickly covered herself. "You're not supposed to be in here."

He wore a smile from ear to ear, "No, you didn't have to stop." He referred to the rope.

"Why are you in here?"

"Oh, right. I was wondering if you'd like to go on a trip with me? Just a little vacation."

"A vacation?"

"Yeah. Just the two of us. What do you say?"

"I don't know, Lucas. I-"

The door opened once more and Katherine walked in. "Lucas, you're not supposed to be in here. Riley, honey, we need you to pick up the pace."

"Yeah. I'll...I just need to get into my dress."

Lucas stared at Riley, "Talk after?"

She nodded and watched as Lucas walked away. Katherine closed the door behind him and gave Riley a faint smile.

When Riley turned to face the mirror, she couldn't help but think about what Maya said.

She said something about Lucas using the pageant as a magnet and that he sleeps with girls afterward. She swallowed the lump in her throat and got into the dress.

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"Ms. Riley Matthews," a man introduced to the crowd. "Escorted by Lucas Friar."

Riley ambled down the stairs in a long, applique floral white lace dress. She placed her hand on the railing and smiled at the crowd's reaction. Others clapped while some stared at the dress in astonishment. Her eyes skimmed the crowd before her eyes landed on Lucas, he was waiting at the end of the stairs - smiling back at her.

Lucas was breathless when it came to Riley. He was astonished by her beauty, her ability to make him smile for no apparent reason. Normally he has no problem with talking to girls... but with her, it was extremely different. As his eyes meet hers, emerald to brown, he can't help his temptation. He slowly found himself scanning her body and excitement soon took over. He lends her his hand and helps her down the remaining stairs.

"You look gorgeous," he said into her ear.

They made their way to the backyard and Riley's jaw nearly dropped at the number of people in Lucas' backyard. Once he heard Riley's breathing increase, he reassured her and told her that everything was okay.

Riley heard many catcalls coming from what seemed to be athletes and just any teenage boy. She mainly kept her focus on the steps she was supposed to take. Lucas stopped walking once they reached the dance floor and the music started.

Riley stood in front of Lucas, their eyes on each other.

 _Sometimes I feel good_

 _At times I feel used_

 _Lovin' you darlin'_

 _Makes me so confused_

 _I keep on fallin'_

 _In and out of love with you_

 _I never loved someone_

 _The way that I love you_

"You never gave me an answer," Lucas muttered.

"That's because we weren't supposed to be talking. Just like we aren't supposed to be talking right now."

Their ears met and so did their hands, "What if I told you there was something we could do afterward?"

"Like?"

He chuckled, "Let's get out of town for a few days. Just the two of us."

I keep on fallin'

In and out of love with you

I never loved someone

The way that I love you

"I don't know, Lucas."

There was a silence between them that lasted for a few seconds. In that time Lucas twirled Riley.

"You're okay, right?" he questioned. He noticed she wasn't being herself lately.

"I'm fine. Can we just stick to the dance, please?"

He didn't know what to do at first. Something was definitely wrong with her, but she was in no mood to talk about it. Instead, he nodded and decided to do what she had asked for.

 _I'm fallin'_

 _In and out of love with you_

 _I never loved someone_

 _The way that I love you_

 _I'm fallin'_

 _In and out of love with you_

 _I never loved someone_

 _The way that I love you_

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Riley held onto Lucas' arm as they walked around the backyard. He introduced her to a numerous amount of people and managed to carry a discussion with a few of them. It was as if he knew everybody there. As their discussion ended with an elderly couple about antisemitism, Riley and Lucas proceeded to walk. The brunette stopped and Lucas turned to her.

"I'm going to get something to drink. I'll catch up with you."

He slowly walked up to her, "Are you sure there isn't something you need to tell me?"

"I just need a drink."

Lucas nodded and stepped back from her. He then continued to talk to the people behind him.

"A water please," Riley told the man that stood behind the bar. Once she received her water in a nice shaped glass, Riley proceeded to walk towards Lucas. While doing so, she felt a hand tug at her and suddenly she was in another location.

The garden.

The garden was beautiful and peaceful, but the man in front of her wasn't. Her eyes widened before she could hardly muster any words, "Sorrell?"

She couldn't believe who she was seeing.

"How?" she questioned. "How are you here?"

"Hello, gorgeous."

She began to step back from him and while doing so she bumped into someone. Turning around, Riley was so grateful that someone was revealed to be Lucas.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah," when she turned around she was happy Sorrell was nowhere to be seen. "Yeah, I'm fine."

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Minutes passed and Riley had not seen Sorell anywhere. She was beginning to think that she was just hallucinating. Her thoughts about him dispersed as she watched Shelly's ballet performance.

Riley walked back inside Lucas' house and went up the stairs that lead her to her dressing room. She changed into her second dress and right when she walked out the door she bumped into someone. When her eyes met the figure, Riley knew for sure she wasn't hallucinating. "How are you here?"

"I have a friend," he said in return. He went to touch her but she didn't let him.

"If you touch me, I'll scream."

Sorrell chuckled. "It's all you know how to do."

"What do you want?" Riley spat as she stepped back.

"Come on," he scoffed. "You know exactly what I want."

"Don't get close to me," she told him.

He didn't listen, "Just wanna know why you're with him. C'mon, we both know each other perfectly. You're incapable of seeing someone like Lucas."

"Yea, well Lucas is a saint compared to you."

"Ouch," he chuckled. There was a short silence between them, "We'll talk some other time."

He moved to the left and let her walk away. Sorrell found his gaze trail down from her head and to her lower back, he chuckled.

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Riley tried to ignore the stares they received once her and Lucas stepped onto the platform. She and Lucas took their places on the opposite ends of the platform and waited for the song to start.

 _Señor Juez no soy un niño,_

 _Su señoria no soy cobarde,_

 _Lloro solo porque soy humano_

 _Y mi inocencia peligra entre sus manos._

 _Atención todo el jurado,_

 _Nunca he jurado en vano,_

 _Por mi madrecita alguien_

 _Fabricó mentiras intentando hacerme daño._

Riley and Lucas approached each other from the opposite ends. Each step corresponded to the sway of the music, when the song sped up, so did their steps. Soon enough, Riley was embraced by Lucas' arms. Her hips moved along his as they stepped forward together.

 _[Pero yo no he hecho nada._

 _Aquí hay pruebas contundentes de que usted_

 _Si ha sido infiel._

 _OMG, he is guilty, he is guilty._

 _Hey her silencio, orden en la corte.]_

Once he let her go, Riley and Lucas circled each other, their gaze fixated on the other. He placed his hand on her back while Riley's hand went to his shoulder. Together, they danced to the music, their feet in perfect sync.

 _Sábado salí en la noche,_

 _Me pase con par de tragos,_

 _Pero no se como diablos_

 _Hay fragancia en mi camisa_

 _Y una mancha de pintalabios._

As Riley twirled so did her long, Meadow Crocheted red wine maxi dress. She looked intensely seductive as her hair was no longer together. She had let her curls run gracefully as well as her hips. While Lucas held Riley and watched as she stretched out her foot - her ankle now reaching the end of Lucas' head - he couldn't help but chuckle. His movements were agile in the Pique Bib Front he wore with suspenders and trousers, he had previously taken off the blazer because Riley told him to.

 _Juro decir solamente la verdad_

 _Nada mas que la verdad, no miento._

 _Yo no soy culpable de lo que me acusan,_

 _No quiero perder su amor_

The song progressed as well as their dance. Lucas ignored the whistling and the audience's reactions even though he could tell they were enjoying it. He was more focused on Riley. He allowed a small smile to form on his lips and once Riley saw it too, she let a light chuckle escape.

Their legs intertwined with one another, as well as Lucas' right hand on Riley's left hand.

 _Inocente, en un juicio impotente,_

 _A punto de perder a la mujer que yo mas quiero_

 _Por infamia de la gente._

 _Me declaro inocente,_

 _Un ingenuo decente,_

 _Que ha sentido tentaciones_

 _Pero nunca la he engañado_

 _Yo la amo ciegamente,_

 _Me declaro inocente._

His forehead rested on her collarbone for that portion of the dance. He smiled when he heard her heartbeat. She smelled of red roses. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and take someplace private. Her body language said it all, but he knew he had to wait. And he did.

 _Inocente, en un juicio impotente,_

 _A punto de perder a la mujer que yo mas quiero_

 _Por infamia de la gente._

 _Me declaro inocente,_

 _Un ingenuo decente,_

 _Que ha sentido tentaciones_

 _Pero nunca la he engañado_

 _Yo la amo ciegamente,_

 _Me declaro inocente._

Their dance was perfect; everything from their breathing to how their feet moved and stayed in sync. If by the end of this dance Riley's breath was taken away, she would know why.

Lucas guided Riley across the dance floor while their feet intertwined. His gaze was on her, every moment, every touch felt like Riley was meeting him for the first time. As if what she's known about him had disappeared, his movements were different. Nothing felt forced; she found herself staring into his eyes.

"Lucas" she whispered.

He squeezed her hand slightly and smiled.

They circled each other once more as the music grew heavy. Riley lightly stomped her feet on the floor with each step she took, creating a sound that corresponded to the music. She jumped inches off the ground and while she was on the air, Lucas was able to catch her. She fell into his arms bridal style, their eyes fixated as if they'd never seen each other before.

 _Inocente, en un juicio impotente,_

 _A punto de perder a la mujer que yo mas quiero_

 _Por infamia de la gente._

 _Señor juez inocente,_

 _Un ingenuo decente,_

 _Que ha sentido tentaciones_

 _Pero nunca la he engañado_

 _Yo la amo ciegamente,_

 _Me declaro inocente._

With that, Riley knew. He let go of their embrace as the audience began to applaud. His hand went for her's as he led her off the dance floor. They reached the inside of the house and that's when Lucas stopped walking and turned to her. "Babe, you were-"

He stopped talking once he found Riley leaning in. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. "You're beautiful in every way."

She could only smile.

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About an hour and a half later, Riley alongside the other girls who participated in the pageant was called up on stage. She watched as everyone's eyes were on them, skimming their dresses, staring at them and smiling. She looked at the girls next to her and realized Shelly was standing next to her.

"I really liked your ballet dance. It was beautiful," Riley informed her.

"Not as beautiful as your dance. If all goes well tonight, you won."

"Before I crown the winner," Katherine began, "We would like to thank these young ladies for their participation. It takes a lot of courage." As the people began to applaud, Riley skimmed to the crowd to find Lucas. When her eyes found him it was like a sudden spark ignited between them. He smiled and she smiled back. "Without further adieu, this year's Miss WaterLake is Riley Matthews."

The brunette never expected to hear her name. She would've thought that someone else would have won. Someone else but her. Her eyes went to Katherine who waved at her to walk up towards the podium; then she looked at Lucas who stared at her in complete affection.

They placed a slash over her and a small golden tiara to compliment her dress.

"Umm..." Riley began as she stood in front of the podium. "It's not an everyday thing where I win or get to participate in something such as this. I'd want to thank anyone who voted for me or was just moved by the dance...this is an honor. Thank you."

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"There she is," Lucas said as he wrapped his hands around her waist. He kissed her temple and congratulated her on her win. Once he spun her around so their eyes could meet, Riley kissed his lips.

"Thank you, Lucas. I enjoyed tonight."

"Well," he grabbed her hands and smiled ever so widely. "Tonight's not over yet."

She furrowed her eyebrows at her boyfriend's cuteness.

"C'mon, I have a surprise for you." They walked up the stairs and through a hallway Riley had never seen before. Lucas opened the door and let her go in first. When she stepped through the door she felt a gentle gust of the wind that sent a relaxing mood. She was greeted with a picturesque view of the night sky and a nice candle lit dinner set on a round table with an ever so genuine person standing behind all of this. Her eyes turned to Lucas who was already starring at her.

"Did you do this?" she asked him.

"I did. I take it that you haven't eaten, right?"

"Yes," she laughed. "Yes, I haven't."

"Well," he grabbed her hand one more time. "Would you like to sit?"

He gestured for her to sit on the chair and once she did Lucas walked over to his chair.

"About what you said, Lucas," Riley began. The thought of Lucas wanting to get out of town had been eating at her all day. Even if what Maya had said could be true, she didn't want to leave town. Especially since she only had a few more weeks left before she went back to New York. "About wanting to leave town-"

"I know, Riley," he said. "It's fine. You don't want to and I am okay with that."

She smiled at him. Something Riley really loved about Lucas was that he understood. He was capable of understanding and being able to see someone's perspectives and learn from them. "Thank you."

Fifteen minutes passed and Riley was finished with her plate. She wasn't really that hungry, to begin with but she now reached a point where if she ate anymore she would spend most of her night in the bathroom.

"Should we go downstairs now?" Riley asked.

"Wait," Lucas said as he stood up. He walked towards where she was sitting and grabbed her hand. Riley's eyes leveled his as she waited for him to speak. "The first day I saw you, you sang for Tyler..."

Riley smiled at the memory. A month ago if someone were to ask her if she and Lucas Friar were dating, she would have scoffed. But now...now she would have reacted differently.

"Yes. I remember."

"...why don't you sing to me?"

"You want me to sing to you?" she asked as she stared into his beautiful emerald eyes.

"Why not? You sang for Tyler when he was a complete stranger...why won't you sing to me if I'm your boyfriend?"

"Good point," she drawled.

He cheered. "Do you have a song in mind?"

"There is one that reminds me of you."

"Great."

"Hold on a minute," Riley told him. She brought out her phone and walked towards the stone railing at the end of the balcony. She pressed play and set the phone down before she returned to him. Lucas smiled as the song began to play, he stared at Riley as he placed his hand on her back. Her hand intertwined with him as they danced to the song.

 _And you got me like, "Oh, what you want from me?"_

 _(What you want from me?)_

 _And I tried to buy your pretty heart, the price too high_

 _Baby, you got me like "Oh"_

 _You love when I fall apart_

 _(fall apart)_

 _So you can put me together and throw me against the wall_

Riley rested her head on his chest. She listened to the song as she silently muttered them to him. She couldn't help but remember how long ago it was since she sang to Tyler. Back then she wanted to break Lucas Friar, she made it her mission to twist her way into his heart, but ever since then...she's fallen in love with him.

 _Baby you got me like i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii, woo i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii_

 _Don't you stop loving me_

 _(loving me)_

 _Don't quit loving me_

 _(loving me)_

 _Just start loving me_

 _(loving me)_

 _Owwwwww_

She placed her hands on his cheeks and stared at him as she sang the next part:

 _And babe I'm fist-fighting with fire_

 _Just to get close to you_

 _Can we burn something babe_

 _And I run for miles just to get a taste_

 _Must be love on the brain_

 _That's got me feeling this way_

 _It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good_

 _And I can't get enough_

 _Must be love on the brain yeah_

 _And it keeps cursing my name_

 _No matter what I do_

 _I'm no good without you_

 _And I can't get enough_

 _Must be love on the... brain_

Lucas stared at Riley in a way he's never stared at anyone before. He smiled as Riley's voice was soothing and relaxing, so angelic and clear he couldn't help but want to kiss her.

 _Baby keep loving me_

 _Just love me_

 _Yeah, just love me_

 _All you need to do is love me, yeah_

 _Got me like, ah-ha-ha-owww_

 _I'm tired of being played like a violin_

 _What do I gotta do to get in your motherfuckin' heart?_

 _Baby like i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii, woo i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii_

 _Don't you stop loving me_

 _(loving me)_

 _Don't quit loving me_

 _(loving me)_

 _Just start loving me_

 _(loving me)_

 _Ooooooohhh_

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The night had finally struck twelve and Riley decided it was time to head home. She had an amazing time. For the first time in a long time, Riley had felt like a true princess. She talked with people and had conversations she'd never think she'd be talking about. Once she was crowned Miss WaterLake it was as if everyone wanted to talk to her.

When Riley and Lucas spent their time together on the balcony, alone and in private, she couldn't help but remember how romantic he was. He looked extremely handsome as well.

As she slipped out of her dress and put on a nice black sheer top and comfortable overalls, Riley heard a small creak coming from the door behind her. She turned around and once again faced Sorrell.

"You have got to be kidding me?" she tells him. "Sorrell, you need to go."

"Congratulations..." he said. "On your win." He walked towards her and sat down on the white leather couch. "You know the old you would've said no to this. 'It's just some contest that critiques woman, it polarizes them and gives men an idea of what woman are worth.' Some feminist," he scoffed.

"What is it that you want?"

"What I want is the truth, Riley."

"Please - "

"Why are you with Lucas?" he questioned.

"Is that why you're here?" Riley stepped closer to him. He's been finding ways to baffle her and now it was working. "Is that why you traveled nearly 2,000 miles? Because you want to know why I moved on from a guy that abused me to a guy that actually likes me?"

He scoffed, "That was an accident...okay? And you know damn well it only happened once."

"The funny thing was that you laid a hand on me after I took too long in the bathroom. You are so - "

Sorrell stepped back and rounded the couch. "You know your relationship with Lucas is not gonna last. School is about to start again and it's not like you moved here."

Riley didn't think of it, summer was coming to an end and soon enough she would have to go back home...in New York.

"And I'm curious to find out how Riley Matthews will break it off."

With that, he walked away. Riley was tempted to grab her high heel and throw it at him, but instead, she just watched him go. Two minutes passed and she grabbed her dress and walked down the stairs.

As she made it to the foyer a wave of anger washed over her when she saw Lucas talking with Missy. She decided to approach them in a calming manner.

"Oh," Missy said once she noticed Riley. She stood just behind Lucas with her hand on his shoulder. "So I meet your downgrade once again."

"That's enough," Lucas cut in. "You can go now."

"I'm never going to forget last year," she said. "When you escorted Molly Whitmore. It was the first time we hooked up in the back seat of your truck-"

Riley stared at Lucas for a millisecond before she turned to Missy, "You know it's funny how you always bring back the past, what's with the present? Do you not have anyone to bend over for?"

Missy was taken aback by what Riley said, but that only last for a second. "Tell me, Riley. Does he still do the whole groaning and grunting in bed? Or better yet, does he give you that one look when he's cumin-?"

"That's enough, Missy," Lucas snarled.

"Why?" she questioned. She turned to Riley, "Has he told you what he did to Maya Hart? Or how he practically sleeps with every girl at our school? But now look at who's so damn loyal."

Missy started to get a few people's attention and Riley wished this talk could have happened so place else. Missy, why don't you take your butt pads and walk away? With some respect, if you have any."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. If he's done it once...he'll do it again."

Riley sighed softly, seeming more resigned.

"Still feel like he's yours?"

Riley clenched her jaw and Lucas released a loud sigh. He didn't know what to expect from Riley, but she didn't seem like the type of girl who'd think with her fists. Grabbing Missy's purse, Riley threw it towards the front door. "Fetch."

Missy's mocking smile twisted like she had tasted something repugnant. She walked towards her purse as Lucas stood in front of Riley.

"What she said, can you just forget about it? I know that she can get - "

"Lucas I'm gonna head home. I'm getting pretty tired and it's already late."

"Just spend the night here. I mean this isn't over until at least another hour but the rooms upstairs - "

"It's best if I go home. I'll call you tomorrow."

Lucas nodded and kissed her on the lips.

Riley stepped out into the cold air and walked down the stone driveway. She was angry that Sorrell had gotten into her head and managed to make her think about something she would now face. And Missy coming into the situation only made things worse. As she felt her phone vibrate, Riley turned to the direction she heard a twig snap. Soon enough the noise got louder.

When her mind could barely comprehend what was happening, Riley was able to see Emily. She approached her but stopped when she saw that Zay and Farkle were arguing. Before she could take another step, Zay had already thrown a punch at Farkle.

She sped up and tried to stop the fight but before she could get close to Farkle, she had lost her balance and slipped.

"Hey," a familiar voice yelled.

It took her a few seconds to realize that the familiar voice belonged to Lucas.

He pushed Zay away from Farkle but Zay didn't want to stop. He kept making efforts to want to hit Farkle, "I should kill you," he shouted. "You're fucking dead to me."

"What the hell?!" Lucas shouted at the two once he was able to control Zay.

"Did you know about this?" Zay questioned as he pushed Lucas. "Did you know?"

"Know what? What happened?"

"Farkle over here has been going behind my back and sleeping with Emily...did you know?"

Lucas looked at Farkle then back at Zay, "You both should go home," he looked at Emily, "All of you." It wasn't until then when he noticed Riley.

He helped her up from where she had slipped and when their eyes met Lucas saw that the side of her forehead had a cut and blood was running down from it. "Oh, Riley. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. C'mon, let's get you inside."

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"Feel better?" Lucas asked as he watched Riley. She stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes specifically on the band aid on her temple.

"Do you think it will leave a scar?" She turned around and walked towards him.

"It was just a scratch," he placed his hands on her waist. "Does your head hurt?"

"A little," she answered. "How did you know Zay and Farkle were fighting?"

"I didn't. I followed after you because I realized you were walking home. As I was walking, I heard them argue and then..." He left it for her to piece the pieces together. After a few seconds of silence, Lucas rested his forehead on Riley. "Why don't you spend the night?"

"I don't know, Lucas."

"C'mon? Please?" he made it so that she was staring at him. "For me?"

Riley couldn't say no to the cute face he was making. "Fine..." she caved in. "I'll stay...but I'm leaving early in the morning."

"That's fine," he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

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 **A/N: This chapter is perhaps the longest chapter I have ever written. It took me about three weeks to write. And it isn't just because it's a long chapter, but because life got in the way as well. This is sort of what you can expect for the ball - that chapter will be written soon. I finished the chapter on the 2nd of May. As always, long reviews are welcome as well as your thoughts and opinions. I hope you guys caught onto the transition with the songs Riley has sung. First to Tyler and then to Lucas. From Dangerous Woman to Love On the Brain. Who will compare them? If you are interested in seeing Riley's dresses, you will be able to on my profile. Just copy and past it onto a different tab. Guest's you know what to do.**


	29. A Dream is a Memory

**A/N: I know I kept you guys waiting for a long time. And I hope the previous chapter made it better - after all it was 8,000 words long. This is the chapter where Maya and Riley's friendship is shattered. You will see how that goes. If this chapter seems** **familiar, it's because you've read it before. Last week I accidentally posted the wrong chapter. My bad.**

 **Also, I tried posting the links on my profile but it didn't work. I don't know why. If you are curious to know how the dress looked like I will gladly send you the link. Feel free to PM me, for the Guest's I try and see if I can put the link in the review section. Don't know if it'll work.**

 **Josie: This story goes up to chapter 32, it might even have a second installment. I don't know for sure. Nothing has been planned. But since I've been so busy that chapter hasn't been written neither have the other chapters I plan to write. So after chapter 31 I am going to need you guys to be EXTREMELY patient. I'm sorry.**

 **JJ: Aww, thank you guys so much. And I am so sorry I had to make you guys wait so long.**

 **naelacy: I have to thank The Vampire Diaries on that one. If you watch it you should know about Miss Mystic Falls. And Sorrell wants to complicate things with Riley and Lucas. He wants her to end it because he likes her and wants to be with her. As for the long distance relationship that Riley and Lucas won't try to do, I can agree 100%. Distance can break even the strongest relationships. There isn't much jealousy for Maya when Riley is with Lucas. She is just so fixated on wanting Lucas to feel the pain she felt, she's worried for Riley but she's showing it in a different form. Zay and Farkle fought because Zay found out what he was doing with his girlfriend behind his back. And I don't mind super duper long reviews…I LOVE THEM!**

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 _Riley stepped out of the shower and walked towards the empty room. Normally Maya would be there lying in her bed but today she wasn't. In fact, Riley hadn't seen her in at least three days. She could've taken the time she had alone for granted and idled her time watching tv, but something in her gut refrained her from that. The truth is, Riley had been thinking about telling Lucas the truth. The ENTIRE truth. After having that dream and watching Lucas fall down those stairs everything changed. Riley didn't like seeing Lucas hurt. And how would she do it if their plan ended with hurting Lucas?_

 _She left the bathroom with a white robe wrapped around her body. She found her way to the living room where Katy sat._

 _"Hey Katy, have you seen Maya?"_

 _"She's with her friends dear, why? Do you need her?"_

 _She scratched her head and fluffed out her hair. "Yeah."_

 _"Well, is it about Lucas?"_

 _Riley contemplated on telling her. Should she know she's only with Lucas because she has to seduce him?_

 _Instead, she planned on making up a lie. Something she's gotten good at._

 _"Lucas doesn't know his best friend might have feelings for me?" She didn't know how this would go but it was too late to back out._

 _Katy set her book down and turned to Riley. She patted for her to sit. "What friend is this?"_

 _She didn't know either. "I'd rather not say."_

 _Katy understood. "And you think Lucas should know?"_

 _Riley nodded. In a way, what she was telling Katy did relate. They were both secrets and it required Lucas finding out about something._

 _"Honey, Lucas has every right to know. He is your boyfriend after all."_

 _"I know. And you're right he does deserve to know. But I know Lucas. He won't take the news well."_

 _"Then talk to the best friend. Tell him your feelings are strictly for Lucas."_

 _"I've already tried that. He hasn't stopped."_

 _"Then he's not a good friend to Lucas. Therefore he deserves to know."_

 _Riley bit her lip. How could she make this relate to what was actually happening?_

 _"What if the best friend has been trying to break us up? What if there was a complication between us and he was to blame because of it?"_

 _"Then Lucas needs to know. Honey, the best advice I can give you in a relationship: is honesty. He deserves to know. Would you want to know?"_

 _Riley nodded. This really helped answer her question. "Thank you, Katy."_

 _She walked into Maya's room and found her phone on the dresser. She threw herself on the bed and dialed Lucas' number._

 _"Babe," his voice was raspy._

 _"Lucas. Hey, um...I couldn't talk earlier but maybe we can talk tomorrow. Breakfast?"_

 _She heard him sigh. "Is everything okay?"_

 _"Yeah. I just, I thought you were mad at me or something."_

 _"Why would I be mad?"_

 _"Well, maybe because you didn't let me kiss you today. You haven't called me-"_

 _"I'm calling you know."_

 _"At ten in the night. We always talk around six."_

 _"I know. I've just been under the weather. We can talk tomorrow."_

 _"Come over?"_

 _"I'll be there around eight," she played with her hair the remainder of their talk._

 _"Kay. See you then."_

 _"Good night, Riley." Lucas ended the call and rolled over on his bed. Feeling slightly better._

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 _He cheered. "Do you have a song in mind?"_

 _"There is one that reminds me of you."_

 _"Great."_

 _"Hold on a minute," Riley told him. She brought out her phone and walked towards the stone railing at the end of the balcony. She pressed play and set the phone down before she returned to him. Lucas smiled as the song began to play, he stared at Riley as he placed his hand on her back. Her hand intertwined with him as they danced to the song._

And you got me like, "Oh, what you want from me?"  
(What you want from me?)  
And I tried to buy your pretty heart, the price too high  
Baby you got me like "Oh"  
You love when I fall apart  
(fall apart)  
So you can put me together and throw me against the wall

 _Riley rested her head on his chest. She listened to the song as she silently muttered them to him. She couldn't help but remember how long ago it was since she sang to Tyler. Back then she wanted to break Lucas Friar, she made it her mission to twist her way into his heart, but ever since then...she's fallen in love with him._

Baby you got me like i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii, woo i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii  
Don't you stop loving me  
(loving me)  
Don't quit loving me  
(loving me)  
Just start loving me  
(loving me)

Owwwwww

 _She placed her hands on his cheeks and stared into him as she sang the next part:_

And babe I'm fist-fighting with fire  
Just to get close to you  
Can we burn something babe  
 _And I run for miles just to get a taste_  
 _Must be love on the brain_  
 _That's got me feeling this way_  
It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good  
And I can't get enough  
 _Must be love on the brain yeah_  
And it keeps cursing my name  
No matter what I do  
I'm no good without you  
And I can't get enough  
 _Must be love on the... brain_

 _Lucas stared at Riley in a way he's never stared at anyone before. He smiled as Riley's voice was soothing and relaxing, so angelic and clear he couldn't help but want to kiss her._

Baby keep loving me  
Just love me  
Yeah, just love me  
 _All you need to do is love me, yeah_  
Got me like, ah-ha-ha-owww  
I'm tired of being played like a violin  
 _What do I gotta do to get in your motherfuckin' heart?_  
Baby like i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii, woo i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-hiii

Don't you stop loving me  
(loving me)  
Don't quit loving me  
(loving me)  
 _Just start loving me_  
(loving me)

 _Ooooooohhh_

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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When Riley entered Maya's home she never expected their argument to escalate this far. She never thought Maya was capable of behaving like this, with such anger.

As she stared at the door that had recently been slammed in her face, Riley stared at her luggage while tears trailed down her cheeks. She brought out her phone from her back pocket and searched through her contacts.

She passed Tyler's name and hesitated when she saw Lucas'. Every ounce of her wanted to call him and tell him what happened. But Lucas isn't supposed to know about Maya. He isn't supposed to know that the girl he broke was her best friend...or at least was.

She saw Farkle's name and decided to call him. As the phone rang Riley was aware of the opportunities she had to back down. She knew that if she didn't talk to him he wouldn't know about what happened. But he already knew something important, and that was the secret she had been harvesting about her relationship with Lucas.

"Riley?"

"Hey...are you busy?"

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She waited for seven minutes until Farkle had pulled up in front of her. He helped put her luggage in the trunk of the car and drove her to his house before he asked her what happened.

"We got into this argument about...him and I told her it was a mistake and that we should have never made this pact. Farkle, I tried to break it. I told her I wasn't going to do it but she's so stubborn she wouldn't let me explain to her that's he's a good person - "

"Who's her?" Farkle questioned. After a second's hesitation, Farkle questioned her one more time. "Riley, who's her?"

"Her name is Maya."

Farkle's eyes widened at the sound of her name. And then it hit him. "Hart? Maya Hart?"

She nodded, "We made a plan to break Lucas' heart...but the more and more I got to know him...the more and more I fell for him."

"I warned you, Riley."

"I know. But...part of me wanted to. I wanted him..."

"...to fall for you the way you fell for him," Farkle continued.

"I like him Farkle. I - I think about him all the time. And I'm scared that...when he finds out - if he finds out - he'll hate me."

"Riley, you wanna know why Lucas fell for you?" he questioned. "He thinks that you're the first honest relationship he's ever been in. I see the way he looks at you and at times you are all he talks about, but we both know the truth has to come out. Whether you choose to accept it or not."

"I know, Farkle. I see that. But I don't want to tell him. I made a mistake and I don't want him to know...it'll ruin us."

"It'll ruin what started off as a deceiving relationship. You tell him the truth and it will take you guys to somewhere better."

"What if he hates me for it? What'll happen then? I go back to New York and forget everything we've ever had?"

"Possibly. Lucas will react in every way he can. There will be anger, hurt...tears, but at least he will know the truth."

Farkle opened the door to his car and let himself out. Riley stayed in for a few seconds contemplating what he had just said.

Lucas will react to the truth.

She just hopes he doesn't hate her for it.

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Farkle led Riley to the room she would be staying in. He asked her if she was hungry and Riley nodded, he told her that he would be back in a few minutes and that she should go in the room.

She opened the door and placed her stuff on the bed before falling back on it. She stared at the ceiling and sighed as she began to think about Lucas. She really liked him, but she couldn't find herself to tell him. That would end what they have and she doesn't want to loose it.

As if her day couldn't get any worse, the one person she dreaded in seeing had walked in. It took her a while to fully be able to put a single thought together. "Sorrell?"

"Mhm," he bit his lip. "You look hot."

She stared at him in confusion and stood up. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" She was in no mood to put up with him, for the past days all he's done is randomly pop out of the nowhere to ruin her day.

Farkle walked in just in time to hear her yell. He stared at Sorrell before he turned to Riley. "He's staying with me," Farkle answered the question lingering in Riley's words.

"That's how you knew him?" Riley questioned. "He's your friend!"

"Have been for a few years now," Sorrell informed. "We played basketball together."

"I told you to stay in the room," Farkle told him.

"Just had to see her," he answered, his eyes on Riley.

Riley glared at Sorrell. If looks could kill she was sure he'd be dead, "Just keep him out of my sight," she ordered.

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 _30 Minutes Earlier..._

"You're home late," Maya advised as Riley walked in through the front door.

She stared at the brunette and waited for an answer.

Maya waited all night for her to come home. She didn't know why she had been out late but Riley wouldn't answer her texts or call her back. After her frustrations got to her, Maya was even angrier when she saw a picture of Riley in a gold-ish dress.

She was angrier when she realized Lucas had posted the picture a few minutes before she had seen it.

"I was here, relax," Riley lied. "I left before you got up."

Maya stood up from the stool she was sitting on, "I'VE BEEN UP! I have not slept at all because I have been worried. Then I see that Lucas posts a picture with you in it looking like you guys are about to get married? Did you do the pageant? Is that why you weren't here? Riley, I swear to - "

"Maya, you need to chill. Calm down," was all Riley could say.

"I am calm!" she yelled. "Why were you with him, Riley?"

She sighed and shook her head. She was in no mood to deal with this at all. "Can we please not talk about this - ?"

"That's exactly what we're gonna do," she confirmed. "Talk about this."

"Look, I am tired. I don't want to talk to you. I don't wanna talk to you about him and I don't wanna explain myself to you."

"Then get out," Maya spat. "Take your things and get out of my house!"

Riley stared at Maya in confusion.

"Did you not hear me? Get your things and go! Leave!"

When Riley didn't move, Maya stormed into her room and brought out her luggage. "I already put your things in it. Get out!"

She placed her hand on the handle and opened the door. Before she could turn around to say something...

the door had already been slammed shut.

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Riley's eyes snapped open as she quickly sat upright. Her gaze fell on the window in front of her which had granted the moonlight access into her room. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and the tears trailing down her cheeks.

She wished it was just a dream, but it wasn't. It was a memory.

Maya had kicked her out of her home for being with Lucas and she hated her for it. She was mad at her for being so angry she would do something like this. Lucas was nothing like she said he was. At first, Riley was skeptical about it, how there were two sides to him. One who thinks that sex and popularity are the keys to being well - known in high school. And the other side of Lucas who had the imperfect life, who cared about people and would do anything to protect them. The more she got to know him the more she realized that the true Lucas cared about people. Maya had seen the wrong side of him and if she just had time to listen to her everything would be different. But nothing had changed.

Maya still hated Lucas.

She had all the time in a lifetime to hate him.

But Riley didn't have a lot of time to change Maya's mind about him. She was leaving to New York soon...and the unthinkable had to be done.

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 **A/N: Apologies if this chapter isn't as great as you'd expected it to be. I am trying to get this chapter done before I start on the next one. I will check back on it to change somethings and make it better. What do you think about Maya kicking Riley out? Was she wrong for that? Also, what does "the unthinkable had to be done" mean? Any ideas? The next chapter will reveal all. I am currently writing this on the 10 of May and I still have homework to do. But, oh well. Always, let me know what you think? Guests who plan to review, give yourselves a Username so I can acknowledge it in the next chapter.**


	30. A Heart Breaks like Glass

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews. I guess the links don't really work, I don't know why. But I guess all you need to know is that the dresses were pretty. This chapter I guess is sort of** **angsty, there's some things that happen in this chapter that you guys might not like. Also, and I mean it, I am struggling to write the chapter after the next one. Please, if you have any ideas please let me know. Feel free to PM me or drop it in the reviews, that would mean a lot. And also, if I don't have any ideas then the chapter will be delayed cause it will not be written.**

 **Sorry I missed last week. I am so caught up with somethings that I have to deal with. Please read the A/N at the bottom.**

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 _About an hour and a half later, Riley alongside the other girls who participated in the pageant were called up on stage. She watched as everyone's eyes were on them, skimming their dresses, staring at them and smiling. She looked at the girls next to her and realized Shelly was standing next to her._

 _"I really liked your ballet dance. It was beautiful," Riley informed her._

 _"Not as beautiful as your dance. If all goes well tonight, you won."_

 _"Before I crown the winner," Katherine began, "We would like to thank these young ladies for their participation. It takes a lot of courage." As the people began to applaud, Riley skimmed to crowd to find Lucas. When her eyes found his it was like a sudden spark ignited between them. He smiled and she smiled back. "Without further adieu, this years Miss WaterLake is: Riley Matthews."_

 _The brunette never expected to hear her name. She would've thought that someone else would have won. Someone else but her. Her eyes went to Katherine who waved at her to walk up towards the podium; then she looked at Lucas who stared at her in complete affection._

 _They placed a slash over her and a small golden tiara to compliment her dress._

 _"Umm..." Riley began as she stood in front of the podium. "It's not an everyday thing where I win or get to participate in something such as this. I'd want thank you anyone who voted for me or was just moved by the dance...this is an honor. Thank you."_

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 _She waited for seven minutes until Farkle had pulled up in front of her. He helped put her luggage in the trunk of the car and drove her to his house before he asked her what happened._

 _"We got into this argument about...him and I told her it was a mistake and that we should have never made this pact. Farkle, I tried to break it. I told her I wasn't going to do it but she's so stubborn she wouldn't let me explain to her that's he's a good person - "_

 _"Who's her?" Farkle questioned. After a second's hesitation, Farkle questioned her one more time. "Riley, who's her?"_

 _"Her name is Maya."_

 _Farkle furrowed his brows at the familiar name. And then it hit him. "Hart? Maya Hart?"_

 _She nodded, "We made a plan to break Lucas' heart...but the more and more I got to know him...the more and more I fell for him."_

 _"I warned you, Riley."_

 _"I know. But...part of me wanted to. I wanted him..."_

 _"...to fall for you the way you fell for him," Farkle continued._

 _"I like him Farkle. I - I think about him all the time. And I'm scared that...when he finds out - if he finds out - he'll hate me."_

 _"Riley, you wanna know why Lucas fell for you?" he questioned. "He thinks that you're the first honest relationship he's ever been in. I see the way he looks at you and at times you are all he talks about, but we both know the truth has to come out. Whether you choose to accept it or not."_

 _"I know, Farkle. I see that. But I don't want to tell him. I made a mistake and I don't want him to know...it'll ruin us."_

 _"It'll ruin what started off as a deceiving relationship. You tell him the truth and it will lead you guys to something better."_

 _"What if he hates me for it? What'll happen then? I go back to New York and forget everything we've ever had?"_

 _"Possibly. Lucas will react in everyway he can. There will be anger, hurt...tears, but at least he will know the truth."_

 _Farkle opened the door to his car and let himself out. Riley stayed in for a few seconds contemplating what he had just said._

 _Lucas will react to the truth._

 _She just hopes he doesn't hate her for it._

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 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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It was three in the afternoon when Riley stared at her phone. She looked at the door in front of her before she put her phone in her back pocket and entered Lucas' home. Riley was surprised to see the horde of people in his foyer alongside his living room and backyard. They were decorating for the anticipated ball that was supposed to be the event of the year.

She walked up the stairs and into Lucas room who abruptly got up from his bed and walked towards her. "Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked before kissing her.

Riley stepped back from the kiss before he was even done, Lucas raised a brow and looked at her. He decided not to question it. "I was wondering," he began. "At what time should I pick you up."

"Don't," Riley said, almost immediately. "You don't need to. I'll meet you here."

He nodded taking note of her nervousness. "Are you hungry? We can go eat..."

"Actually, Lucas," she grabbed his hands. "I need to tell you something."

"Well, what is it?" he questioned.

He waited for a few seconds before Riley said something. "These past months have been great," she watched as Lucas raised a brow. "I've never met someone who has made me feel this free, or someone who has been so great to me," she watched as he smiled.

"But I finally met someone who is capable of making me see what I'm doing wrong. And that is being in a relationship," he stopped smiling as the meaning of her words settled. "You are a great guy," she told him as she wiped a tear that trailed down her cheek. "But I'm not what you need right now."

He inched further from her, "What are you saying?" he asked.

The silence was killing both of them gradually as Riley struggled to get her point across under Lucas' expectant eyes, "I'm saying we need to break up."

He could feel the heartbreak like glass thrown at a wall. Like the shattering of the transparent substance depicted his heart's fracture. He studied Riley's face in revelation before he had enough courage to finally say something. "I thought we were okay."

"We were," she told him. "Just that...when you look back at what we had, you're going to..."

"To what, Riley?" he questioned, this time a little louder. "Regret it?"

"You're going to look back at it and want more."

Lucas didn't want more in a relationship than what he possibly had with Riley. He never found anything wrong with it, he was happy and in a good place, he just wished she felt the same. "More? What is more, Riley? Explain it. 'Cause I already thought he had that."

Riley snorted the upcoming tears. "Lucas, please. I need you to understand, if not...accept that what we had was nice, great in fact, but we both know it wasn't meant to last."

Lucas scoffed at her words, "Did we?" he all but questioned. He had an honest relationship with Riley, she was the first girl he ever trusted that wasn't his mom. He told her things not even his best of friends know, and he told her because he saw potential in them. He hoped they would last forever.

"Why are you doing this, Riley? And don't give me all that _it's not you, it's me_ bullshit cause i'm not buying it. Do you really think I'm going to believe that? That we weren't going to last because I need more? I know you had hopes for us, I know because you told me. Or where you lying to me then?"

"Of course not."

"Then what is it? Why are you doing this?" When she wouldn't answer Lucas turned away from her in frustration. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to find a reason why Riley would do something like this. If he allowed himself to look at her, and really focus, without the emotions bringing him down, without his racing heart distracting him, he could see Riley beg for forgiveness. He could hear her silent pleas.

But he couldn't.

"You know I am so tired of being disappointed. I am so tired of everything. I had a lot on my plate before I met you, Riley. But bit by bit, the plate became light as our friendship grew closer. You helped me...and now you're breaking me."

"That's now what this is - "

"It's exactly it," he yelled. "You were there through my worst and you stayed. Hell Riley, the respect I have for you is greater than anything...anything. You helped fix my problems, not cause them."

"I'm so -"

"Sorry?" he scoffed.

When the silence grew thick, and Riley's eyes were on his, Lucas finally let the tears he grasped...go. It was too much to hold, to much to carry, he had to let them go.

Riley's heart broke before her. The last bit of strength she had to go through all of this was gone. Empty. She wanted to hug him, but she had a reason to do this. It was for his own good.

"Lucas - "

"How are you being so calm about this? Doesn't it hurt; to do this?"

"It's not about what I feel."

"Right," he began. "Because what you feel wasn't important in our relationship." He took a few more steps back and took deep breaths, his sobs were getting in the way of trying to get his points across.

When he was calm, he approached her and placed his hands in her shoulders. "Don't end us like this," his anger blended with newfound desperation. "Don't give up on me like this."

"I'm not giving up on you, Lucas. This isn't about that. It's about realizing we need more."

He clenched his jaw, "We've been through so much. I just thought that was enough."

Riley bit her lip in order to maintain her position. _It was enough._ "We had something, Lucas" she cleared out. "But it's over."

He let go of her. The last ounces of hope he had in him drained. He stared at her for what he thought would be the last time in a long time and nodded. He didn't hide what he felt from her, "Hopefully, one day in a few months or years, when you look back at what we had, you realize we had everything."

He caressed her cheek but stopped when he was temped to kiss her.

"Goodbye Lucas," she told him.

"Goodbye Riley."

She turned her back on him without even wanting to stare at him for one more second. She would break if she did. She would confess if he said her name once more.

When she closed the door and walked down the stairs, Riley realized she had followed through with Maya's plan. But in a different way.

She didn't just break Lucas Friar, she ended what he told her was one of the best things that had ever happened to him.

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Riley sat on the bench just outside Farkle's house. She overlooked the pond and wooden bridge as the tears trailed down her puffed cheeks. Farkle took a seat next to her a few seconds later and placed his hand on her back for comfort.

"I talked to Lucas," he informed her. "He's not doing so good."

"Yeah, me neither," Riley told him. "Why are you here, Farkle? Are you going to tell me how horrible of a person I am?"

"Actually," he began. "I'm here to keep you company. I know it must've been hard. Lucas told me the reason you broke up with him was bullshit."

"That's because it is. It was all I could think of. Farkle everything was perfect. And then Sorrell...he got in my head. But he had a good reason, my life isn't here in LA, it's in New York. A long distance relationship wouldn't work, not in this case. Part of me doesn't want Lucas to know the truth about why I was with him all this time."

"I get it. I felt the same way when I was with Emily. I didn't want Zay to know. But I am telling you this Riley, you will regret not telling him; no matter how much it will hurt him."

Riley closed her eyes and let the remaining tears fall. "You should get going, don't you think? You don't wanna keep your parents waiting. There is a ball after all."

"You are right about that. Are you okay with staying here all by yourself?"

"All by myself?" she asked. "Where's Sorrell going to stay?"

"In New York," Farkle told her and when she wasn't getting the point, he clarified it for her, "He already left."

Riley sighed, "Thank God."

He laughed, "There's food in the fridge and if you feel like ordering pizza, there's money in the cookie jar."

"Thank you," Riley hugged him. "I'll be all right."

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Maya hopped out of the shower feeling nothing but heated. As she slipped out of her towel and into her clothes, her phone rang. When she saw who the caller was, Maya answered it after a second's pause. "Tyler?"

"Chloe, hey."

"Hi," she said, skeptical about why he was calling.

"Hey, listen, there's this ball at Lucas house and his mom is hosting it. I, on the other hand don't have a date and I know it's last minute, but would you like to go with me?"

Maya blinked at the question before an answer could jump out of her, "Yes. I mean, yeah. Sure I would like that."

"Great. What time should I pick you up?"

"You don't need to," she told him. "I'll meet you there. If that's all right?"

"That's great. I'll see you there."

Maya hung up the phone before she ran towards her closet, searching for the perfect dress. When she found one she laid it on the bed and dialed Riley.

When she heard Riley answer the phone, the memory of slamming the door on her face hit her. She had totally forgotten about that. She wanted to hang up but she was still too angry for that.

"I'm going to tell Lucas," she informed Riley. "...the truth. About why you were with him. I know he won't be convinced easily, so I'm showing him the picture we took together."

"Maya," Riley warned. "Don't."

"It didn't have to be like this."

Riley argued but Maya had already ended the call. She held onto her phone as she ran inside Farkle's house. She opened the door to the guest room and ran towards her luggage.

She wasn't going to let Maya do something like that.

When she unzipped it, Riley remembered that Lucas had previously bought her a dress with a necklace. He did this because he hoped they could go together to the ball. Of course, that was before she broke up with him.

She knew she had to get to Lucas before Maya did. And as much as it killed her, she had to tell him the truth.

Before Maya could.

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 **A/N: If there is anything you would like to see happen in this story please let me know through review or PM. Hope you guys enjoy.**

 **7-21-17: This chapter was written - I think - in maybe April or May. I am not sure, but it's been a while since I've written for Dangerous Woman. And due to the long time that this story has been up and the time and effort it took to write some chapters, I will not be adding a second installment nor will I ever publish another story on FanFiction. There are just so many things I am dealing with at the moment and I can see some of you guys are getting impatient and bored. The next chapter has been already written but it does not give you the ending I wanted nor the ending you deserve. If I don't feel motivated or if I don't have any ideas to grasp onto then that will be the ending I am leaving it at.**

 **Thank you guys so much and I hope you understand. I truly didn't mean to disappoint you guys.**


	31. Goodbye, Lucas

**A/N: Seems like you people have finally caught up to me. There will be one more chapter after this one but that WILL be the last one. There will be no sequel and actually there was supposed to be a prequel but that was just a thought when I was writing like the 6th or 7th chapter. So a LONG time ago. Thank you guys so much for reading and this will be the last time you will get to review and that I will get to acknowledge so make them count. Thank you so much for reading. And on a side note, remember that time I asked you guys to vote on a song? The songs were Leave Me Lonely by Ariana Grande and Bust the Windows Out Your Car by Jazmine Sullivan, do you remember? Like a long time ago. Well that was during the time I was this chapter. A long time ago. Secrets will be revealed in this chapter so let me know what you think of them.**

 **amymayy2003: I'm gonna cry too. I think I'll miss you the most. Thank you for constantly reviewing and just being there. I really means and meant a lot that you read this. I appreciate it SO MUCH. And I feel like I don't tell you that enough.**

 **Softball: There will be a fair share of arguments just as there will be forgiving and accepting. These characters have grown a lot, they've been through things, they've felt things and they'll grow from them. Not sure Maya and Riley will physically fight but they'll definitely struggle to understand the other.**

 **naelacy: It's human nature to deal with things as you grow. As you move on. I didn't really wanna tell you what was happening until it started consuming my life and affecting my writing. I missed updates and sometimes I didn't wanna update but did it either way to make you guys happy. Writing was for fun, but what I'm going through is serious and not really anything you guys should worry about. It's not life threatening, physically i'm fine.  
And I know, Tyler just disappeared. But he will make an appearance in this chapter. And Maya will for sure piss some people off. And YES! FINALLY! Sorrell is gone. We are free from worry. He's gone. "He's been stopped." Thanks so much for your review. **

**Karkoolka: YAY! A new reviewer. Where you been girl? And, well, yeah but there's…who am I kidding? Everything in your review was spot on. You basically summarized the entire chapter. And I know. Tyler just…poof. He's gone. Lowkey feel like I should explain why. ;)**

 **KillEmWithKindness02: My journey has been going on for eight months. Ten, if you count the two months I spent writing the very first chapters. Thank you so much for your reviews. And I'll definitely be around to read what you have up your sleeves. And I read _Broken Bough_ …loving it.  
P.S Whatever it is [the new story] an October release. 100%. **

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 _Maya hopped out of the shower feeling nothing but heated. As she slipped out of her towel and into her clothes, her phone rang. When she saw who the caller was, Maya answered it after a second's pause. "Tyler?"_

 _"Chloe, hey."_

 _"Hi," she said, skeptical about why he was calling._

 _"Hey, listen, there's this ball at Lucas house and his mom is hosting it. I, on the other hand don't have a date and I know it's last minute, but would you like to go with me?"_

 _Maya blinked at the question before an answer could jump out of her, "Yes. I would like that."_

 _"Great. What time should I pick you up?"_

 _"You don't need to," she told him. "I'll meet you there. If that's all right?"_

 _"That's great. I'll see you there."_

 _Maya hung up the phone before she ran towards her closet, searching for the perfect dress. When she found one she laid it on the bed and dialed Riley._

 _When she heard Riley answer the phone, the memory of slamming the door on her face hit her. She had totally forgotten about that. She wanted to hang up but she was still too angry for that._

 _"I'm going to tell Lucas," she informed Riley. "...the truth. About why you were with him. I know he won't be convinced easily, so I'm showing him the picture we took together."_

 _"Maya," Riley warned. "Don't."_

 _"It didn't have to be like this."_

 _Riley argued but Maya had already ended the call. She held onto her phone as she ran inside Farkle's house. She opened the door to the guest room and ran towards her luggage._

 _She wasn't going to let Maya do something like that._

 _When she unzipped it, Riley remembered that Lucas had previously bought her a dress with a necklace. He did this because he hoped they could go together to the ball. Of course, that was before she broke up with him._

 _She knew she had to get to Lucas before Maya did. And as much as it killed her, she had to tell him the truth._

 _Before Maya could._

 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

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Riley walked through the opened doors in a vintage size cap Anna Campbell lace dress just in time to hear Katherine commence the first dance of the night. Riley's once balayage bob was now in a crown braided updo with little white cosmos sticking out.

"Thank you for joining us," Katherine began as she stood in the center of the staircase. "Whenever we are gathered here, on a special night such as this, it is tradition to commence the evening with a dance. So if all of you can find yourselves a partner, join us in the ballroom...also known as the dining hall."

"I'd be rude not to dance, you know?" Tyler told Maya as he recently found her in the hordes of people. She looked absolutely stunning in the magenta taffeta ball gown dress.

"I was beginning to think you stood me up," she told him.

"I would never," he said as he arched his arm. "Dance?"

Maya smiled, "Only because it's tradition."

He smirked as they proceeded to walk towards the dining hall. Shortly afterward, they found their place in between two couples and waited for the song to start.

Dangerous love

You're no good for me, darling

Yeah, you turn me away

Like I'm begging for a dollar

Danger, oh, how you hold me

I get a chill inside

And nothing frightens me, baby, oh

"You look gorgeous," Tyler complimented as his hands grasped Maya's waist, his right hand holding her left hand.

"Thank you," Maya replied as she looked around the room in search for Lucas.

Is it love when so easily said goodbye?

Is it love when we've given up before we tried?

Is it love when you stole my peace of mind?

Is it love when you cry and cry and cry?

"I'm glad you came," he pulled her close, his eyes on her.

"Well, it was either staying home alone binge watching the third season of The Vampire Diaries or painting on a canvas for no one to see so..."

"I didn't know you paint?"

"I do," she confirmed. "But lately I haven't found the right inspiration."

"Why is that?" Tyler eyed the many participants before he turned to look at Maya, "Lack of time?"

"I wish, but there's this thing where time falls nowhere near the spectrum of betrayal," Maya said surprised at her own bitterness.

He raised a brow, "Can you explain?"

"I'd rather not. We're here to have fun, remember?"

He nodded, "Well, in that case, would you like to head out back?"

"That would depend on many things," Maya said. "You're not planning on kidnapping me, are you?"

"I would never," he smiled. "Just as long as you don't leave me when the clock strikes midnight."

"I suggest we hurry then," she smiled.

"After you," he gestured towards the empty hallway and followed her once she passed him.

...

"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked Riley as he pulled her towards him. The dance required to switch partners and it just so happened to be Riley. She sighed in relief as she stared into his green eyes. She just hoped she found him before Maya did. All she needs to do now is talk to him alone.

You're a dangerous love

And baby, you're no good for me, darling

'Cause if you're gonna love me and leave me hanging here

Then I'd rather you leave me lonely

Even though it hurts

You're a dangerous love

"We need to talk," Riley stated while Lucas and her swayed to the music and followed other people's example."Alone."

He gulped and blinked the threatening tears away as he listened to her angelic voice. He had spent the past minutes getting frustrated and angry at her and now, all those emotions were replaced with the treating sob torturing his throat. "Why?"

"Because you deserve an explanation, Lucas. I didn't exactly give you one."

"I deserved and explanation," he said as Riley stared at him. "I don't think I need it anymore."

She furrowed her brows in bewilderment at the sound of his voice. She stared at him and then it hit her, "You're mad," she answered herself.

"Of course I am!" he silently growled.

"...and you have every right to be," she looked around to see if Maya was near, she wasn't. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

He scoffed, "That's bullshit!"

Her hand went to his cheek, "Can we please talk?"

Lucas clenched his jaw and blocked out every emotion he was feeling. Tonight was supposed to be a good night and it wasn't exactly heading there. He forced a smile, a completely broken smile. "I see you're wearing the dress I bought you."

"I didn't have another one."

"And the necklace?"

"You can have it back," Riley said as he dipped her. "I saw how much it cost."

"I don't care about the necklace, Riley."

She looked him in the eyes and gulped. If she wanted to talk to him, she had to get his attention. And doing that, meant she had to reveal part of the truth. "I've been lying to you."

Dangerous love

You're no good for me, darling

Yeah, you turn me away

Like I'm begging for a dollar

Danger, oh, how you hold me

I get a chill inside

And nothing frightens me, baby, oh

He looked at her in complete surprise, but before he could say anything the song ended and so did their dance.

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"All right," Maya began as she turned to face Tyler. He was currently following her out the house. "Now that we're alone, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"I think we've known each other for a decent amount of time, don't you think?" Tyler asked.

Maya smiled, "A month isn't much."

"Why not?" he said in a questioning chuckle.

"Because you spent half of that time speaking fondly over Riley," Maya deadpanned. "And then crushing on this girl."

"That was only the first week-"

"And then you kiss me, tell me you made a mistake, invite me here and flirt with me for what? To have a good night?"

He scoffed, "C'mon. I know you know me just enough to know that's not true."

"Do I?"

"Yes, you do. And as of matter of fact..., I'm still a virgin."

Maya was taken aback by the news he presented to her, "Most guys are embarrassed to admit something like that."

"Why should I? I mean I'm not embarrassed to admit I'm not in love, or that I haven't met the right girl."

Maya smiled throughout all the turmoil she was in, "That's a nice way to put it."

The night was peaceful as he couldn't help but be memorized by her effortless beauty. His eyes were only on her, after a while he couldn't help but chuckle. She had fooled him all this time and now, knowing the truth, he couldn't help but notice how impossibly easy she made it. "I know who you are Chloe...I mean Maya."

She turned to look at him immediately. "You know?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I do. I've known for the past week. I just didn't know how to talk to you about it. I mean the makeup and the hair plus your clothes... it all made you look completely different."

"I-"

"I just don't know what Riley is here for. I mean at first she seemed like she was interested in me, but then a day later, she's all over Lucas and Lucas is this different person. I mean the dude posted a pic of her with a heart," he chuckled, "But, it did become his most liked Instagram pic."

"I don't wanna talk about him-"

"You don't wanna talk about _it_ ," he stated. "Riley's trying to seduce Lucas, isn't she?" Tyler didn't need Maya to answer the question, he already knew. "Talk about a crazy ex."

"You don't know the things he did while we were dating," Maya retaliated.

"And you don't know how much it'll hurt him."

Maya stared at Tyler in confusion, anger lingering loudly within her. "Please. You and I both know Lucas is incapable of feeling even the slightest bit of guilt."

"He stayed up all night drinking the day you guys broke up. I had to drive him home that night-"

"Right, because I, Maya Hart, broke Lucas Friar's, heart."

"That's exactly what you did. He actually liked you, Maya."

She scoffed, "The fact that you had to use an 'actually' in that sentence only proves my point. Lucas is a horrible person, Tyler. He uses girls. You wanna know what he is? A misogynist. That is who Lucas Friar is."

"You don't know him, Maya. He pretended like it didn't hurt him. But it did. I saw it, Farkle saw it..."

"Then he sure as hell get's over a break up pretty quickly. He goes around sleeping with girls and then "accidentally" sends you a video of him sleeping with someone else."

"That's who he is, it's what he does. It's what he's probably gonna do when he finds out about Riley."

She scoffed, "Yeah don't tempt me. Riley's leaving soon."

"So that's it? She's not gonna say goodbye to him?"

"Not if I tell him."

"Don't you think that's Riley's job. You've done plenty of damage."

"Riley won't tell him. For all I know she's leaving in a few hours."

"Where is she?" he asked hoping there was still time.

"I don't know. A motel...?"

"Why would she be there?"

Maya stared at her feet before she stared back at him, "I sort of kicked her out."

"You did what?!"

"I know," she breathed and placed a hand on her forehead. "She really hates me right now."

"Yeah, I can see why."

"No, I, I told her I was going to tell Lucas the truth," she breathed. "That's why she's not replying."

"But...you haven't, right?"

Maya shook her head. "I was going to, but then you asked me to dance and then we came here...and...I don't think I could do it."

"That's why you agreed to go with me," he said in realization.

That was part of it. She really wanted to tell Lucas but she focused more on the time she spent with Tyler.

"Is there a chance she could be here?" he asked.

"I don't know and I don't care anymore. I just want to forget about him, I think it's best if you take me home."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah. It's probably for the best."

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Lucas opened the door to his room and let Riley in first. He didn't know if he chose the right place to talk to her especially since they were in the same room she broke his heart in. He could have led her to another room but the anticipation killed him, he wanted to know why Riley did what she did.

When Riley walked into the room she was both nervous and relieved when Lucas agreed to talk to her, but when she turned to look back at him, her eyes grew wide. The wall right by his door had holes in them. She didn't know why at first but when Lucas tucked his right hand in his trousers, she jumped to one conclusion.

"Did you do this?" she pointed to the wall behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and turned back to Riley with a nod. He sauntered towards his mini bar and poured himself a drink in a clear glass cup. He turned to face her and drank from the glass.

She sighed knowing all to well what he intended to do, "I get it. You're mad-"

"I'm mad?" he questioned. "I'm pissed!"

"It hurt, Lucas," she tried to explain herself. "It hurt to see you practically break in front of me." She waited for him to stop staring at the cup but he never did, "And now you can't even look me."

He took another swig from his drink.

"How do you do it?" she began. "Act like you don't care? Because I can't do that. I...feel. I feel everything. I feel when you look at me or...or when you hold me-"

"Stop-"

"I'm not going to stop because I don't believe you don't feel anything."

"You think I like being this type of person?" he questioned, his eyes finally on hers. "I hate you for what you did."

"Then show it. Show me. Do something, anything! Anything is better than trying to convince me you don't care-"

"If I let myself care," Lucas sighed. "All I feel is pain. A pain that you caused."

She gulped.

"And when I show the slightest bit of worry...you get scared."

Riley closed her eyes because his words contrived everything inside her. She knew what he meant. She knew he was trying to remind her of the way he acted towards the guy who tried to hurt her. But she forgave him for that just like she's forgiven him for the other mistakes he's made.

He scoffed, "Just ask her out they said. She'll make you happy, they said."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're sorry?" he added a questionable tone. "Well, so am I."

She bit her lips in order to suppress the sob threatening to escape.

"Should've slept with Missy the minute she came onto me."

She stepped back from him and raised a brow. She understood he was mad at her, but what he said took her by surprise.

"I guess I did deserve to get my heart fucked with," he disclosed. "By the one and only, Riley Matthews." He clapped. "How does it feel...?" He consumed his drink in one quick gulp. "...to break the breaker?"

Riley made her way towards Lucas and took the glass from him, "You've had enough."

"Not yet. I can still hear you talk."

"Okay, stop!" she denounced. "I - there's something I need to tell you and you need to hear it from me."

"Go ahead. Spill."

Riley sighed and stared into his emerald eyes. She had imagined this moment since the very beginning, but she didn't remember feeling this scared. Was she ready? Could she do it? She didn't know. The feeling was new to her. She made a promise to seduce Lucas and break his heart not to fall in love with him. "I..."

Lucas didn't know what Riley wanted to tell him. But he wanted to know why she was acting the way she was acting.

"I promised Maya I would seduce you and break your heart."

It felt as if the room grew thick with the truth. It was silent and unnerving. Seconds passed before Riley got a reaction from him. And it wasn't at all what she was expecting.

He just laughed and turned his back on her to pour himself another drink.

"You're funny," he began and laughed. "But that's stupid excuse."

After a few seconds, Lucas' laughs grew quiet. He looked at her expecting her to give him the real reason, but it seemed like she already had.

"Think about it," her voice was hoarse and her eyes were filled with tears. "I just randomly showed up at the party you were at. I never liked talking about my family, you don't know where I live..."

"That's because I never bothered to ask-"

"Because I didn't tell you, Lucas," she said with clarification in her tone.

He stared at her in absolute confusion, part of what she was saying made sense, but the other half just seemed like a credulous lie. "It still doesn't make sense. I mean the things you told me, about your dad and Sorrell..."

"I didn't lie because we already knew each other so well. It didn't feel right to lie. I know what I did was wrong - "

"What about your feelings?" he questioned. "For me...were they just a lie - "

"No," she informed. "Of course not. I just...what I told you, Lucas. I feel the same way you said you felt for me. I started to really like you and that's when I realized that I was doing something wrong. It was a horrible mistake, and I'm sorry."

Lucas grabbed a glass cup from the stand behind him and traced the outline of the design with his finger. His expression twisted as if he was ready to release a sob, but before he could, Lucas had thrown the glass cup towards the wall. Riley flinched at the sound of the glass shattering but she understood this was going to happen. Farkle had warned her.

He clenched his jaw along with his fists as if he was ready to punch another wall, but then his eyes found hers and he calmed himself down. He paced the room back and forth, unbuttoning his shirt as if the room was getting hotter and as if he couldn't breathe.

His teeth were gritted and the vein popping out his forehead was clear evidence that he was angry.

"Lucas, I'm sorry," Riley said through tears. Her hand went to reach him so he could stop pacing the room, but he removed his hand in time, his gaze still on her.

As he stared at her, his hurt took a hold of every memory they shared, every kiss, hug, and smile and turned it into a cloud of antipathy. His mind still couldn't wrap around the fact that their relationship wasn't built on the foundation he thought it was. In lieu, it was built on lies and a pact that would eventually break his feelings.

He moved the table that was in his way in a hostile manner, almost tipping it over alongside the expensive flowers. Every single memory he had of her, happened because of one big lie.

He thought they were real, honest, and understanding but they were nothing like that.

He tried to keep his anger in check, but he couldn't handle it anymore. The lies were piling up and it was too much for him.

"Lucas," she stood in front of him.

"Don't touch me!" his voice was hoarse and roar-like. "You lied, Riley."

"I know," she nodded. "And I regret it. I regret being angry at you for breaking her heart."

"Who's heart?" he questioned, his voice loud and inattentive as to what her answer would be.

"Maya's," she told him impatiently. "Maya Hart."

It finally made sense to him; how he always thought he'd seen Chloe before. He just didn't realize that it was Maya. There was so much betrayal happening at the moment that Lucas couldn't handle. "You made the pact with her?" his voice started to rise.

"Lucas she told me all these horrible things about you. And looking back at it, I think they were lies. She told me these lies just so I could get more angry at you and follow through with the pact. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have believed her."

"I'm so mad I could choke her," he muttered under his breath. "What kind of lies?"

"Something about a girl drowning...I don't know," she ignored his look of shock. "Lucas, I am sorry. Please, please forgive me."

He stepped back from her. His look of heartbreak at her recent confession was enough to drain Riley from hope, from knowing that their relationship would be okay. She stepped towards him as he stepped back and when he put his hands out to stop her, Riley pressed her lips against his. He was too close to her and she couldn't help it. She wanted the kiss to show him that she really liked him, that she cared for him just as much as he cared for her. She wanted to show him they were perfect, even though the odds said otherwise.

He wanted to stop her. But he wanted to savor the moment because he knew this would be the last time he would get to feel Riley this way. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, he knew the feeling felt right, but the moment wasn't. He pushed away from her and turned his back on her, his hands clenched knowing that he still cared for her even though he didn't want to at the moment.

"It's true," he said immediately.

"What is?" Riley asked as she raised a brow. She had no idea why Lucas would pull away from the kiss so quick when he seemed to be enjoying it.

"The girl," Lucas answered but Riley was still confused. "It was my fault she drowned."

Riley felt her body go into shock as his confession hit her. When Maya told her about the girl drowning, Riley had tried to deny it because Lucas and she weren't on good terms but there was part of her that thought she was telling the truth. Through time, when Lucas had talked to his dad, showed her that he didn't cheat on her and make her realize that she might love him, Riley had come to a conclusion that it was possible Maya said those things to get her angry enough to defame Lucas.

But as his words still lingered in the air and his stare was stripped with pain, Riley had known the truth.

A girl drowned because of him.

Lucas saw her take one step back. And the sudden look of fear which Lucas had dreaded came to view.

"It happened a long time ago, Riley," he said.

She understood the past was the past and she hadn't gotten the whole truth. She couldn't hate him from what seemed like something he couldn't control.

"I know that what happened will always haunt you, but Lucas, I don't care about the past. You might have done some things that I might've not like from you. But what right do I have to judge your past when mine isn't so perfect either?"

Her hands went to her cheeks and in that moment she knew this couldn't be their goodbye forever. "I...cant hate you...no matter how hard you try."

She wanted this to be their invitation for a better future for them, but Lucas couldn't. He couldn't accept what would potentially break them. He stepped back from her and stuffed his hands in his pockets before he sniffed his nose intending to remove the tears trailing down his cheeks. "I'm not perfect," he began. "I am what I am, Riley. And I know you won't like it."

She hated the threatening sob that lingered in her throat alongside the chattering going on outside his room. "I'm not perfect either, Lucas. I've kept secrets from people when I shouldn't have. I kept one from you and that is the biggest mistake I've made. I will do whatever you want me to because I am so sorry. Please..."

When Lucas couldn't hold back the tears, he took his hand from his pocket and wiped them away. He didn't look at her as he walked towards the door and opened it. "You should leave," as soon as he said those words, Lucas knew what Riley would take from them. He knew she would see this as a goodbye...but he didn't do anything to change her thoughts.

Riley stared at the door before she looked at him. Every step she took towards it felt like a piece of concrete was tied to her feet. She was tempted to stop many times and shake her head no, but his heartbreak taunted her.

When she reached him, Riley looked in his eyes for the last time. Every memory hit her.

•

 _Lost in his gaze, Lucas caged her in with his right hand, their lips only an inch away. "Do I make you nervous, Riley?"_

 _"In your dreams," she managed to say through a beating heart. He caged her in with his left hand and Riley was at loss for words._

 _Their lips met instantaneously and Riley felt herself kissing back. Lucas was amused with this as he fought with her for dominance, sending them into a voracious kiss. When he pulled her closer, Riley felt the bulge in his swim shorts and in return she settled her hand on his neck._

 _His hands went down to her hips, then slowly running to her ass. Pressing himself against her, Lucas groaned at the friction created by his move. Riley suppressed her moan and tilted her head to get deeper into the kiss. Grasping her, Lucas picked her up and settled her down as he climbed on top of her. Never had she expected that this was the place they'd kiss for the first time. In a cave with sand next to the beach on a sunny day._

•

 _"There was broken glass on the floor, the TV was knocked over and my mom was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until I walked into her room when I found her. She was unconscious and...and she was..."_

 _Riley felt her own eyes tear up. She couldn't believe a guy like Lucas had a past she would've never expected._

 _"She was covered in blood. You should've seen her, she was so still I thought she was dead."_

 _Riley pressed her forehead against his and caressed his cheeks with her thumb, but his eyes still wouldn't meet hers._

 _"I walked towards her but I stopped when I saw him. The only reason I even noticed him was because of the blood dripping from his fists. I was so scared of him that I couldn't even move." He shook his head in distress and proceeded with the story, "When he saw me, he started laughing. He asked me why I was home so early and other questions that I can hardly remember. He wasn't acting like himself; then again, I didn't really know him. So I ran towards the kitchen so I can get to the phone...but before I could round the corner, he caught up to me and...he dragged me back towards the hallway. He took the phone from my hands and placed his hand over my mouth so I couldn't yell. I bit his finger and he booted me in the stomach, he slapped me for a bit but my mom was conscious enough to grab my baseball bat and hit him over the head with it. She wouldn't stop until she knew he was out."_

 _Lucas finally looked at Riley and breathed, "My mom called the police and my dad was arrested. When we realized he was only going to jail for a few months we moved here...to forget and to start over."_

•

 _Riley giggled softly as she felt Lucas' hands touch her waist. He positioned himself on top of her and pressed his lips gently against hers. He slid off his shirt and stared at her, lustily. Riley's gaze trailed down his divine torso and smiled at what was laid out before her. When Lucas went down to kiss her, Riley noticed a small mark on his rib cage._

 _"What's this?" she asked as she placed her hand on it. "Is this a tattoo?"_

 _He looked at it and smiled, "Do you like it?"_

 _"What is it? What does it mean?"_

 _"It's the Roman numeral for two," he informed. "To remind me that even though there's only one me in this world, there's two of me in my mom's heart."_

 _Riley smiled, "It's beautiful. Now, tell me about the cave you took me to see."_

 _"Well, when I was three my dad took my brother and me to see it for the first time. It's sort of the only memory I have of the three of us," he sat up and so did Riley. "That same year my brother died and...everything spiraled downward from there. Not long after, my dad became an alcoholic and an abuser."_

 _"I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry."_

 _"It's been nine years and you're the first person I've met who has bothered to ask. Thank you." He smiled at her, "Now, I was promised a two-minute make out session."_

•

 _Ten minutes passed and Lucas finally stopped his truck. Riley looked to her right. A beautiful coat of crocus flowers planted over a large grassy meadow came to view. A yellow blanket and picnic basket rested amidst lush green trees and as her feet touched the gravel Riley turned to Lucas._

 _"Nothing," he said immediately. "Nothing," he took out a sandwich and placed it in front of him. Getting ready to take a bite, Lucas felt a pair of daggers fall on him. "What?"_

 _"Where's mine?"_

 _"Where's my kiss?"_

 _"Oh really?"_

 _He nodded._

 _Riley stared at him and tried to maintain a straight face, but he was too cute to be mad at. She really did want that kiss just as much as she wanted that sandwich. She could've easily shook her head no and not eat for the rest of the time but she couldn't get over the fact that a guy as handsome as Lucas, wanted a kiss from her. Leaning in, Lucas didn't hesitate to kiss her. She was taken by surprise but as time settled in Riley found herself loving it even more._

 _Lucas was the first one to pull away, "Here's your sandwich."_

 _A silence fell upon them merely because Lucas was swallowing a bite he took from his sandwich. Riley observed him for a few seconds before she was finally able to break the silence, "My dad cheated on my mom."_

 _He looked at her and swallowed the lump of food, he was caught off guard and he didn't know what to say. Let alone how to comfort her. For seconds he debated on whether saying I'm sorry or asking what? He finally settled for, "How do you know?"_

 _"I caught him," she answered his query. "I had my suspicions at first, but what really answered my question was a text message he got. He even abbreviated her name to Ms. H."_

 _"Have you talked about it with - "_

 _"My mom loves him and I love her. I don't know what I would do if she ever found out."_

 _"Hey, Riley..."_

 _"Yeah?" she turned to him._

 _"Did I ever tell you're the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on?"_

•

 _Lucas inhaled then exhaled. He scratched the back of his head before his eyes met hers. "I like you."_

 _She smiled._

 _"And it feels like you like me too," his eyes couldn't leave her's. "We've been spending so much time with each other that I look forward to it. I like talking to you, Riley...and I really want you to feel the same way."_

 _Every time they're together she forgets about the real reason she's with him and she only thinks about wanting to be with him, as something more. She crossed her hands and joined him, Lucas turned so they're both facing the same direction, the stars._

 _"It's beautiful, isn't it?"_

 _He nodded, knowing all too well the only 'beautiful' he knows is her._

 _"I like you, Lucas." The smile he gave her was enough to make her chuckle. "You make it so much easier to be honest with you. There's no one I know who re-reads Sense & Sensibility more than I do, of course, that was until I met you." Her tone grew serious. "You're a good different."_

 _His hands went down to hers, "The important talks, the one's we share, promise me we'll have more of those."_

 _Riley's hands snaked around his neck as his hands rest on her hips. She smiled because Lucas had managed to say everything she's been wanting to hear. Everything she's wanted in a relationship has somehow been what their friendship with was all about. When they were together he provided her with attention, care, affection; the list goes on for a lifetime and that was all she ever wanted._

 _He cared for her, and she cares for him._

 _"I don't know Lucas, how would we do that?"_

 _His forehead leaned against hers. The smell she radiated, of pear blossom and jasmine, made it impossible to think straight. He loved it. "Instead of seeing each other as...friends, maybe we can see each other as...more?"_

 _Riley nodded. "I see."_

 _"So what do you say? Give us a try?"_

 _Riley grinned while Lucas touched her cheek, his slid his fingers into his hair and smiled. She leaned in to kiss him. This time, the kiss was more passionate than the previous ones. He clasped both of his hands behind her back and pulled her impossibly close._

 _"I'll take that as a yes."_

•

 _"I never realized there were so many stars," Riley said as she looked up. She rested her head on Lucas collarbone as his hand played with hers._

 _Lucas had drove her to a place in the woods near his home that sat under millions of stars._

 _"There's many of them," he said into her ear. He rested his forehead on the back of her head and took in the smell of her hair, nothing had ever smelled better. Lucas lived off of Riley's happiness, and right now he was high. He loved seeing her this way, flabbergasted by the beauty of things. She looked up at the stars while Lucas looked at her. It could've been anything and his eyes would've been on her. The world could've ended and he wouldn't have cared. As long as she was with him, nothing else mattered._

 _"See that right there, those group of stars. How they kind of look like a pan? That's the Big Dipper."_

 _Riley looked at Lucas and smiled, "I see it."_

 _"Move your eyes to the right and then up to that bright star..."_

 _"Uh-huh," Riley nodded._

 _"That's the Polaris," he informed._

 _"Who knew you knew so much about stars?"_

 _He chuckled, "When my mom and I first moved here I was so thrilled to find a get away place. This is it." She smiled at him, "And one night when I was fourteen, my science teacher gave me this paper with all the constellations and I stared at them for so long that I started to remember them."_

•

 _"Hold on a minute," Riley told him. She brought out her phone and walked towards the stone railing at the end of the balcony. She pressed play and set the phone down before she returned to him. Lucas smiled as the song began to play, he stared at Riley as he placed his hand on her back. Her hand intertwined with him as they danced to the song._

 _And you got me like, "Oh, what you want from me?"_

 _(What you want from me?)_

 _And I tried to buy your pretty heart, the price too high_

 _Baby, you got me like "Oh"_

 _You love when I fall apart_

 _(fall apart)_

 _So you can put me together and throw me against the wall_

 _Riley rested her head on his chest. She listened to the song as she silently muttered them to him. She couldn't help but remember how long ago it was since she sang to Tyler. Back then she wanted to break Lucas Friar, she made it her mission to twist her way into his heart, but ever since then...she's fallen in love with him._

 _She placed her hands on his cheeks and stared at him as she sang the next part:_

 _And babe I'm fist-fighting with fire_

 _Just to get close to you_

 _Can we burn something babe_

 _And I run for miles just to get a taste_

 _Must be love on the brain_

 _That's got me feeling this way_

 _It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good_

 _And I can't get enough_

 _Must be love on the brain_

•

She felt like none of that mattered anymore. All those perfect memories, the times they said they'd remember these moments forever, it was all gone. They lost their meaning.

She placed her hand on his cheek and blinked back the the tears..."Goodbye, Lucas."

She walked out of the room, down the stairs and through the front door.

She wished the cold air was enough to distract her from the heartbreak, it wasn't. But it was enough to keep her walking. It was enough to keep her moving; until eventually...

she was back in New York, 3,000 miles away from him.

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 **A/N: The End.**

 **Just kidding. I gotta say, I really liked how Riley goes back to remember the important memories. There will be more added to the story but you guys will need to be really, really patient. I don't want the story to end here, and I know you guys feel the same way. The next chapters will give this story it's official ending so I wanna take time to work on it - which unfortunately will take some time. If I don't have the next chapter finished by the time this chapter is up, you guys will have to wait. And if I do, then you will find out sooner than expected. But, this has been an amazing journey. I started writing this story, I believe, October - November of last year. I posted the story on December and that has led us here. Thank you guys so much, leave your reviews and I'll see you on the next chapter. And make them count, pour out yours hearts and your thoughts because that will only inspire me to get the chapter out sooner.  
** **The next chapter should be up before the ending of September. FOR SURE! And guys, let's try and get this story to 200 reviews. Thank you guys so much for reading.**


	32. I Love You

**A/N: I know it has been the LONGEST time since I've updated and I apologize for never giving any of you a reason why. I** **have to admit that I felt so compelled to just give up on writing. Even when I was writing this story, a HUGE part of me just screamed _Stop writing and focus on what you really want to do._ The funny thing about it was that writing WAS what I wanted to do. I guess I just wanted to move on from this story because I gave it nearly a year. It was wrong of me to promise you guys a** **finale when I didn't even have the chapter written, but I hope this makes up for it.**

 **Recap: Maya and Lucas used to date but he broke up with her in a harsh way. Ever since then Maya has wanted her revenge. Riley decided to help her out and they formed this scheme to have Lucas fall in love with Riley. To their surprise, the plan worked and Riley and Lucas became close. Time went by and** **Maya began to question Riley. Eventually, their friendship ended because Maya really wanted to hurt Lucas and Riley didn't because she started liking him. At the ball Lucas' mother throws, Maya and Riley sort of race each other so that Lucas finds out in the right way.** **Tyler - Lucas' friend - tells Maya that he knows who she really is (she was originally pretending to be a different girl named Chloe) and he finds out about the plan. Shortly after, Riley tells Lucas the truth and he is hearbroken by it and she goes back to New York.**

 **You guys are mostly caught up. This chapter can be read as a stand alone and I will clear up any possible confusion you readers might overcome throughtout the chapter - after all it has been a while since I've updated.**

 **amymayy2003: Amy, I love the energy in your review and I hope you still have the same energy for this chapter. I hope you read it thoroughly and completely because I want to hear ever single thought in your head. Let me know because reading your reviews makes my day.**

 **naelacy: You made my day when you said you look forward to the email you get when I post a chapter. Its words like that that inspire me to continue to write. You always reviewed even in the chapters I felt like they didn't deserve to be reviewed on. You proved points and I always felt like you truly understood this fic and that you paid attention to every character. Thank you so much and I hope you stumble across this story and remember it and review it.**

 **KillEmWithKindess02: Even though I stopped writing, it doesn't mean I stopped reading your stories. I love End Game and I hear that will be your last story, it makes me sad but I wish you the best.**

 **Guest: Thank you so much and review!**

 **I'mSoProud: This story will come full circle and have a wonderful ending. At the start of Dangerous Woman I sort of underestimated how this story was going to progress, I didn't expect it to blow up my phone the way it did but I loved ever single second of it. A great experience like that deserves an ending that will be remembered.**

 **Jess: When I pictured this plotline I always knew I wanted it to be told as Riley being the protagonist. This was mainly because at the time this story started taking it's form, the GMW was bringing Riley's character down in every possible way. They even bullied the actress that plays her. So I wanted this to change that. And I love your review. It truly is heartwarming and I feel inspired by it. Writing takes time and for ten months I worked my brain off to form this story and it's development. I hope you review again.**

 **notmynature: In October of 2017, I did have ideas for this chapter and I did plan on continuing, it wasn't until December when I gave up. So s** **ome of the plotlines that you read in this chapter are a year old. It does sort of shock me that some chapters of mine as well as stories were never published and they don't have a home. So let me know guys, if you want them.**

 **teetee575: You are about to find out how it's about to end. I hope you like it.**

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 ** _Dangerous_ Woman**

 _Tuesday, October 3, 2017_

July, August, and September passed and Riley felt every single second of it.

She felt the weather change and she herself changed with it. It had been three months since she left New York and her relationships with Maya and Lucas have not existed since then. She only spoke to Farkle about it and that was because he was curious about her departure.

The real lies didn't come until her mother asked her about her visit. Riley had no choice but to exaggerate her lie, she said that she had the best time and Maya showed her around the city.

The following days made her feel the saddest she's been because she missed Lucas. She must've stared at a picture of him for hours and shed enough tears to fill an empty pool.

No one in her family noticed it because she cried in the early mornings.

By the start of school, Riley had stopped crying and got better at hiding how sad she really was. Eventually, she did start smiling more often and feeling better which changed her completely.

Morning came and it was time for Riley to get ready for school. She sat upright and got out of bed. She stared at herself in the mirror that was right in front of her and observed her facial features. She no longer looked the same as she did a few months ago. Her long straight, brown hair was gone. It was now wavy and rested on her shoulders, a lighter shade with messy bangs to compliment it.

Her hair wasn't the only thing that changed. Her face did too. It all happened the second she found a makeup video and tried it for the first time.

She used to avoid wearing clothes that revealed too much of her skin but she now wore clothes like that with confidence.

New York changed her and she didn't hate it. She loved every single second of it.

Looking into her closet, she brainstormed her outfit for about five minutes before deciding to go with a fair off the shoulder blue and white cotton top with blue jeans. She slipped on her white Vans and brushed her teeth before heading downstairs.

Her mother was off at work and she often worked late which meant Riley must take care of her younger brother as well. "Auggie!" she yelled his name realizing that he was still in his room.

"Coming!" he yelled back.

She walked into the living room and picked up his backpack and shoes knowing all too well that he would be needing it. When he was walking down the stairs, she handed it to him and he put them on. "Go before you miss the bus."

"Bye Riley," he said before walking out the door.

"Bye Aug. Be safe."

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The only good thing about leaving New York was the fact that she completely reinvented herself after. She no longer felt lonely at school and this was because she had made more friends than she normally had. At the start of the year, she knew she did not want to be her old self and do nothing so she decided to become a cheerleader and join more clubs. This resulted in suddenly gaining new friends which she desperately needed.

As she entered her AP Bio class, she took a seat in the middle center of the class and brought out her notebooks and pencil. To her left was one of her friends named Sarah who was the high school's "It" girl. Riley did not know how they became close friends but they did and through her, Riley was invited to many parties which she enjoyed going to.

The teacher waited for the tardy bell to ring so that she could start the lesson. Occasionally she would avoid that but this time she didn't. Soon came the bell and Ms. Buchanan stood from her chair and pointed to the board, "All right class, don't forget to mark the date on your notebooks. Today we will be learning about Genetic Variability."

Riley reached for her pencil but in doing so she knocked it out of her table. She heard a knock on the classroom door but she didn't acknowledge it because she was close to grabbing her pencil.

"And you are?" she heard her teacher say. It wasn't clear but it seemed as though she had received a note, "A new student. Lucas, is his name?"

She froze. She could only feel her heart race and her eyes widen. Was it really Lucas?

"Lucas Anderson," the teacher finished. "Take a seat, Lucas."

Riley sighed in relief and grabbed her pencil. She returned her attention to the board and thought. She was not prepared to see him again because she did not know what she would do at the moment.

And if she was completely honest, she didn't think she would ever see him again.

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"He keeps staring at you," Sarah whispered to Riley as soon as she took notice of the guy's stare. They were in the library finishing their homework for their next class that would soon start and the boy Sarah was staring at was sitting three tables in front of them. He was very discreet but nothing got passed her.

Riley didn't need to look up to know whom she was talking about. She was referring to Daniel, her partner for Culinary who always calls her pretty and touches her at any given moment.

At first, Riley thought that Sarah's speculation was a reach. She did not think for one second a guy like Daniel would have a crush on her. But through time and a very certain stare his friends would give whenever they talked, later convinced Riley.

"He's cute, you're just having trouble seeing it. You know his friends say he's thinking about asking you to homecoming," Sarah revealed. She took a sip from her Starbucks drink and texted away.

Riley didn't believe it. She just continued to write on her notes and finish her homework assignment. Her longing for straight A's and a high GPA was still very much there.

"At least admit he's cute. Look at his muscles, his jawline, his hazel eyes, wavy hair, smooth skin...he's like heart eye emoji worthy," she tried so hard to convince Riley but she failed.

"He's not looking for something serious," she revealed. The last time Riley entered a relationship not wanting anything serious, it became serious really fast. She figured that if she did the opposite, her relationship would have a different outcome than before. "And I am not looking for a boyfriend."

"You guys don't need to automatically become a thing. Stay in the talking phase for a couple of days and see how that works."

Riley didn't know about that either.

"He's coming," Sarah said through a quick whisper. When Riley heard this, she didn't know how to react.

"What do you mean he's coming? Is he really?" she tried to fix her hair casually but he had reached their table by then.

"Hey, Riley?" he spoke. His voice was hoarse but smooth - a girls weakness. She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling. He was cute, he really was but that's all he was to her. Nothing more, nothing less. "Let me take you out sometime."

"Oooh," Sarah squealed. "She'll be there. Just tell me when. She doesn't really speak."

"How about Friday at 6?" he said and licked his lips.

"Sounds perfect."

"Does it, Riley?" Again, he stared at her and she stared back.

Something changed the second she heard him ask her out. She convinced herself she didn't like him but maybe she was wrong. What if there were some feelings there for him? It was strange to her. That it only took six words to change her feelings about him. "It does. Just text me the details."

He nodded and then walked away, leaving Riley with bright pink cheeks. She could already feel the stare her friend was giving, "Stop."

"Ugh, he's so fine. And you are totally letting me do your makeup Friday."

"We will see."

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 _New York_

Lucas sat on the roof and stared at the little bright specks in the night sky. He took a deep breath and thought about her.

He wasn't mad and he didn't hate her. He never did. He was just hurt by what she did and how he found out.

Staring at the stars helped him cope because it reminded him of her. She was all he could think about and all the memories they shared together came with it. The day he took her to the cave, their first kiss, and date, all of it.

After Riley left his room and him behind, Lucas had to explain to his mom why it happened. She had seen Riley leaving with tears in her eyes and she had questions.

He didn't tell her the real reason so he lied to her. He felt the sudden need to protect Riley's image and he didn't know why.

A tap on the window brought Lucas back to reality and when he turned around to see who it was, he saw that it was Zay. Zay had been with him through everything. They were childhood friends who never left each other's side so whenever Lucas felt like talking to someone, he was always there. "Are you good?"

"I'm good," he said as he returned his gaze back to the stars. He took another deep breath and thought. He felt like something was missing in his life and he knew it was Riley but wanting something else to fill in that hole was impossible. It was all he searched for now that Riley was gone.

Zay placed his hands on the dormer and climbed out of the window in order to join him. "You're not fine, you're thinking about her, aren't you?"

He didn't answer him. He just stared upwards and played with his fingers.

"It's okay if you are. She made you feel a lot of things." When Lucas was around Riley, he was a completely different person. He smiled more and looked genuinely happy but now that she was gone, he was none of those things.

"She made me feel the happiest I've ever been." Thinking about their time together made him feel many things in the time she was gone. Sadness, joy, and anger were a few of them. "Sometimes I feel like I should hate her. She was lying to me this entire time and she was manipulating me."

"I don't want to make you feel like a hypocrite or anything...but, does that sound familiar?" Zay questioned him.

Lucas sighed, he used to do all those things to girls before Riley came along. "You're right."

"I don't wanna make you feel like you deserved what Riley did to you, but don't you think that righting your wrongs will help you feel better?"

"You think I should ask all those girls I hurt for forgiveness?"

"It's something," he suggested. "It'll help you, I know that."

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School ended which meant that Riley's shift at Topanga's would soon start. She convinced her friend to give her a ride and thanks to her she was able to get there on time. She entered the bakery and walked towards her mom's office to change. She keeps an extra set of clothes in there so that she doesn't have to work in the clothes she takes to school. When she finished getting dressed and putting her hair in a bun, she walked towards the front of the bakery and stood next to Patricia who was a college undergraduate studying to become a businesswoman.

"Hey," she said.

"It's a slow day, isn't it?" Riley looked around the bakery and saw that only a handful of people were there. She turned back to face the brunette with the glasses who had her nose buried in her textbook. She was now starting to see how much Riley saw her old self in Patricia.

"It's been like this for a few hours," she said and closed her book. "How was school?"

"Same as always, but your girl is still passing ECON," the reason she was so happy about passing that class was that it was her least favorite. She was struggling with it at the beginning of the year but she managed to bring her grade up and it had stayed like that ever since.

"What about your dating life -?"

"Really?" she asked but then started to laugh. "Okay, I actually have news on that. Do you remember the guy I told you about that I think has a crush on me?"

"Daniel?"

"Yes, him. Well, guess what..." Riley was now starting to realize that a really cute boy had a crush on her and in a way it made her feel good and happy. Like maybe she could move on from Lucas and find someone that she had good intentions with.

"No way. He has a crush on you," she finished and her mouth dropped. "Did he ask you out?" Riley nodded. "When is the date?"

"It's this Friday - " She was interrupted by the front door, someone had opened it. When she turned around to get a glimpse of the person she saw that it was none other than Daniel himself, along with three of his friends. "That's him."

"Which one?" she whispered.

"The one that's coming," Riley managed to whisper before he was standing in front of her. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a strawberry smoothie," he smiled. When he went to hand her the money, he made sure their fingers touched. Making them both smile.

"Coming right up." As soon as he walked back to his friends, Riley went to go make his smoothie while Patricia followed her.

"My God, he must be a model," she fangirled. "He's definitely into you."

Riley laughed. "I don't know. I just agreed to go out with him because he's been trying for a really long time. And I feel like I owe him because he helps me out a lot in class."

"Don't tell him that...ever. You will hurt his feelings."

"Not planning on it." Riley finished placing all the contents inside the blender and began to blend it. She began to realize just how much he liked strawberries. In class, he was always eating them and offering her some. She never thought about it until now." After she finished, she poured the smoothie inside the cup and then put the lid on it. "Your strawberry smoothie is ready." The smile he gave her made her knees wobble but she didn't show it. "Have a nice day, Daniel."

"Wait, Riley?"

She turned back to look at him. He looked nervous but it made her smile. "Yes?"

"Friday," he reminded her of their date. "We're going to the street fair downtown."

"That sounds great."

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 _Friday_

Lucas waited for the door in the diner to open and a specific person to walk in. He had been waiting for half an hour and he was starting to suspect he might not get the chance to talk to her. He had seen her around in school but her eyes never made contact with his. He was dead to her for all he knew.

When he gathered the courage to text her, he explained to her why he wanted them to meet. He knew she wouldn't respond to him so he wrote the time and place and crossed his fingers she would show up.

His phone dinged and when he looked at the screen he saw that Farkle had texted him. He wanted to know why he wasn't in school.

The time was now 9:47 am and she still wasn't there. Third period would start soon and he couldn't afford to miss it. As he stood up and left the amount of money he owed for his water, he saw that the door had opened.

It was her. It was Maya.

She entered the diner carrying herself like she did when they first met. Her confidence was back and it made him feel better because he wasn't the reason she was sad anymore. "You were leaving," she said the second her eyes met his. Staring at him brought a new sense of emotions to her. She didn't know whether to be angry or sad again.

"I-I-I was, but," he sat back down. "Not anymore."

Maya joined him and sat down in the seat opposite him. She took a deep breath and returned her gaze to him. He looked different. Humble.

"Are you hungry? I can order for you - " he offered and looked around for a waitress.

"Lucas we are here to talk. That's it." Even though Maya was interested in what he had to say, that was all she wanted to get out of it. Nothing else.

He nodded and scratched the back of his head. Talking to her in person was harder than he pictured it to be. "I'm glad you came."

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" she questioned. Maya wanted to get right to the point. If she was here for a reason, she wanted to know it.

Lucas took a deep breath and tried to formulate the right way he would tell her that he didn't mean any of what he said to her in the past. He knew that part of the reason Riley wanted to break his heart was because of Maya and he wanted to fix that. "I'm sorry for what I said to you that day. It was fucked up and I'm sorry." She froze for a few seconds. His sudden apology caught her off guard and she didn't know how to react to it now that it was out in the open. "I was going through something at the time and I'm not using that as an excuse so you can feel sorry for me...I just... I used to be a bad person and I wanted to hurt you, Maya. Everybody told me not to lie to you or...but I did. And because of it...I shattered your spirit. I'm really sorry."

Maya waited months and months for this. She always wanted to hear an apology from him so that she can yell at him and tell him how bad of a person he was but now that the moment came, she could only see how similar she was to his old self. He hurt her so she wanted to hurt him twice as hard.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He could see it in her face that she felt like crying.

"I'm no different from you." Maya knew from the start that there was a chance Lucas would end up getting hurt if her plan with Riley worked and that only motivated her more. "When Riley started having feelings for you I began to hate you even more. Because that meant you were showing her a side of you that you did not show me, or the handful of girls you hurt as well."

His eyes didn't meet hers. "She was different."

"Then what were we?" she asked. "Not enough?"

"Maya that's not true."

"Lucas you are a good looking guy," she began, "And you know you are. Which is why you used us. And I'm not here to hate you because I don't...not anymore at least. I'm here to tell you that I forgive you and that what Riley and I did was stupid."

Hearing her say that she forgave him made him feel lighter in a sense. He felt like a burden was lifted off his shoulders and it allowed him to breathe better. "Thank you, Maya."

She smiled for the first time in a long time. Maybe this was all she needed. Just an apology instead of an explanation. "Do you think about her?"

Lucas nodded. "I'm always thinking about her."

"She and I used to be so close, but we haven't spoken in months. Ever since she left we've just...stopped being friends."

"The last time I was here...in this diner...I was sitting back there," he pointed to the seat on the other side of the diner and Maya turned, "I was here to talk to my dad for the first time since he left us. I couldn't have done it without her."

Maya looked at Lucas and thought. They weren't so different after all. She looked at her hands and thought about her friendship with Riley as kids. They did everything together and it was a shame to see herself now without her. She missed her so much. "Lucas," she called his name. When his eyes met hers she was able to see sadness in them. It made her realize just how much she clouded herself with lies that she convinced herself Lucas was incapable of feeling. "I have an idea."

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The homecoming dance was a few days after the street fair. And since Riley really had a good time with Daniel, she decided to say yes to him when he asked her out.

As they entered the high school gym, they took time to admire the way it was nicely decorated. The theme was once upon a time and everything was very well done and had many lights to compliment it.

Riley wore a light pink misguided blush choke maxi dress with her hair in a loose low ponytail which completed her entire look. Daniel wore a tux which made them both look extremely nice. "I see our friends," he pointed to a chair on the other side of them, "Should we join them?"

She nodded, "I think we should."

As they made their way towards them, Riley could feel that she was being stared at by many girls. She didn't know if they were criticizing her or were just in awe of her dress. A few months ago, this Riley would be unimaginable and no one would've expected her to wear something like this, she just hoped she wasn't being hated on and instead impressed by.

"You look like your worth millions," her friend Sarah complimented as she gave her a hug. "Daniel, you didn't do bad yourself."

"Thank you for the compliment," he said sarcastically and took a seat beside Riley.

"Hey, I chose his tux," she defended before placing her wallet on the table. She continued to look around the gym and the people in it. Some were dancing, others were sitting down and on their phones, couples were kissing and being cute with each other and Riley felt like she needed that. This was her first school dance where she had to dress nice and she liked that it made her feel excited and apart of something. "This is my first homecoming dance," she informed.

"You're kidding," they both said in disbelief. "Is this really?"

She nodded. "Is that bad?"

Daniel smiled, "No, not at all. I'm just glad I'm your first."

"There's nothing wrong with it, I'm just surprised. I knew you were shy at first but I thought you still liked to have fun," Sarah told her. If she were told that Riley Matthews would be her friend during their last years of high school when she was a freshman, she wouldn't have believed it. But Riley's complete transformation made her more confident, and she showed it too. "So, what are you guys doing after this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, weren't you invited to Dylan's kickback?" Sarah asked. Dylan was the school's jock. He was the quarterback, captain of the basketball team, one of the greatest baseball players in the school and everybody loved him. Only Riley knew how big of a jerk he could be. When they were freshman's, they got paired up to be partners for a English presentation and she was forced to do everything. At the end he took most of the credit and when Riley confronted him, he told her that he could make her life bad. She was scared so she backed off.

"I didn't hear anything - "

"He invited us," Daniel confirmed, "But I said no."

"Why would you do that? Everyone is going to be there." Sarah told them.

"You know what else is going to be there?" he questioned. "Weed, and I don't want that for Riley."

"How romantic," she rolled her eyes. When she saw her date approach her, she stood up because she knew they were going to dance. "See you guys out there," she said before she walked away with him.

"You look really beatiful," he said leaning into her ear because the music was too loud. When he saw her smile he knew he said the right thing.

They continued to speak and enjoy each others company. Riley hadn't laughed in the longest time and the fact that he was making her do just that made her feel good. She knew she needed to keep him close. The speaking died down when Riley remembered about what Farkle said. She began to feel guilty about what she was doing with Daniel. Something about them being on a date made her feel like she was doing something wrong and that she wasn't allowed to be seeing him.

It started to kill her spirit and she wasn't speaking as much as she did before.

It didn't take long before Daniel began to notice. She even moved her hand when he tried to hold it. He didn't want this to continue because it would ruin their entire night. "Do you want to dance?" he asked her. He thought she would say yes, he hoped she would say yes but she said no. She said that it was best if they waited but he didn't know for what. He tried many times to speak to her but she would answer in short responses and never really gave him anything to talk about.

"Did I do something wrong?" he finally asked her. She stared at his eyes for the first time that night and waited for her response.

"I'm not mad at you," she responded, "It's just that..." she didn't know if she should tell him. Was it worth it? Did he deserve to know? She stared at him again and decided that she should tell him. He's been patient with her all day and it was clear he cared about how she felt. "A few days ago I heard that my ex - if I can call him that - is trying get in touch with me."

"What'd he do?" Daniel questioned.

"He didn't do anything. I'm the one who made the mistake. It's my fault."

He furrowed his brows because he couldn't believe it. Riley was an angel, what could she have possibly done? "You did?"

"Yeah," the brunnete confirmed. "It was me."

He played with his fingers, "Do you mind telling me what you did?"

She took a deep breath and looked away from him, "I tried to make him fall in love with me so that I can break his heart."

He couldn't believe this was something she tried to do. He wanted to believe it was a lie but it wasn't. "Did you?"

"I did. I hated him at first because he hurt my best friend that's why I did it. When I realized that I was starting to catch feelings for him, that was when I ended it. I told him the truth about everything, he got upset and it was a messy breakup and I thought that he would never want to see me again but I guess that now he does."

"Do you want to talk to him?"

Riley didn't want to answer that. She knew that her answer would affect him and she didn't want to hurt him in any way.

"You can tell me," he encouraged.

"I do, but - " and that was when she froze. She was confident she caught a glimpse of him walking through a crowd of people. It couldn've have been a mistake. It just wasn't possible.

She continued to search more. She didn't know what she would do if she saw him again but she just had to know. It took a few seconds to finally see him again, but she did.

It was Lucas.

His eyes were looking back at her and it was clear that he was also surprised he had found her.

She let out a deep breath and tried to speak but no words came out.

"Go and talk to him," Daniel spoke.

She turned around to look at him, surprised and confused at the same time "Did you know?"

He turned to look at Sarah who was already staring back at them, "Your friend Maya contacted her a few days ago. She filled me in but I didn't know the entire story - at least not until you told me."

"And you're okay with this?"

He nodded, "Any guy deserves to give you a second chance. Especially if you regret what you did."

She stared at him for a few seconds before smiling. "You're a good guy, you know. You deserve everything good." She squeezed his hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she stood up and took another deep breath. She was about to walk towards Lucas and she didn't know what was going to happen. She just hoped that everything turned out okay.

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She remembered everything about him. The way he spoke, the way he smelled, walked, breathed, it was all still a strong memory in her head. It was something that was impossible to forget, like riding a motorcycle or riding a bike.

While they walked out of the gym, Riley felt like this was perhaps one of the most important moments in her life. If she was capable of fixing a mistake that meant so much to her then it could all change for the better. She had tried to picture this moment in her head many times and now that it was happening, she was starting to remember the tiniest of details she left out before. She never realized she'd be so nervous she'd forget how to speak or act in front of him.

When he started to trail behind, Riley got the idea that he wanted them to speak already. She turned around to look at him and they were a few feet apart from each other, it was still enough for her to see his green eyes. He looked like a combination of both nervous and serious at the same time.

"You look beautiful," he said, breaking the silence Riley thought they'd never escape. She looked down at her own dress and smiled before looking back at him. "It's my favorite color on you," he admired.

She loved the way he spoke, his voice was very hoarse and therapeutic which made her feel good. "Thank you." It was quiet again and surprisingly cold for an early October night. "Are you cold?" Riley didn't expect Lucas to give her his leather jacket, but he did. "Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. The reason they were even in this place was because of her. It was her fault that their relationship ended and he was angry because of it.

Why did he stop?

He looked around them, the small gust of wind blowing her scent right toward him and he remembered just how comfortable he was with her. He felt like he could do anything when he was with her. "It's been months, Riley."

She bit her lips, "What I did was wrong - "

"I know. And I know you're sorry. But I'm being a hypocrite because they way I used to treat girls was bad too. I wasn't the same guy I am today and you helped me, Riley. Why would I be angry with you?"

She felt like something was off between this. He didn't need to pin the blame on himself either, he was innocent in her mistake. "I lied. So many times. I hated you in the beginning, I messed with you the same way you messed with other people. I - "

She froze.

He looked over at her when she realized it. He took her hand and took a deep breath, "You were me."

"I was you," she said it to herself. She had become him, only the exact opposite. The way he played with girls was the same way she played with him. "You still deserve to be angry with me..."

Lucas figured that this should be the time he brought up Maya. Riley and her were best friends and he was starting to hate the fact that they weren't talking anymore. "Maya and I spoke."

She turned her head in his direction, "She spoke to you. What did she say?"

"She was still pretty upset but as we continued to speak and she listened to my apology, she found it in her heart to forgive me. Just like the rest."

"The rest?" she questioned. It warmed her heart that he did this, he was a better person and now that he was trying to fix his past made her feel happy for him. "That's pretty brave of you."

He lightly smiled at her, "Maya's here right now."

"What?"

"This was all her idea. She's the one who reached out to your friend Sarah. I guess she pulled a few strings and we were let in."

"I was told she had something to do with this I just didn't know she was here." If she saw her, this would be the first time in a while that they've been in the same place. They used to be so close but the past months have not been treating their friendship well.

Lucas nodded. "She and Tyler have been extremely close lately. I guess it's put her in a good mood."

"She has a crush on him that's why."

"She told you?" Lucas thought he was the only one who knew.

"She doesn't have to. It was just obvious to me." They both laughed for a few seconds but then returned to another silence, "Lucas, I really am sorry that our relationship started off of some lie. But I promise you that it became really between the both of us. When I was with you I didn't even think of the stupid pact, I was just so happy that I found a good looking guy who cared for me." Their hands were still touching when she said this. "I mean we were so good together," she complimented them. "Remember the pageant? How we won."

"We won because of you. That was all you."

She inched herself closer to him, "We won because you're an amazing dancer."

"You're an amazing teacher," he said back to her. Her brown eyes carried so much light and comfort. "When I'm with you all I feel is good. I feel better when I am with you and I think it's because you make me want to be a better person."

She looked at him and this time she really did look at him. She thought long and hard about the two of them being together and all she could feel was joy. Her heart raced whenever she pictured themselves together, dancing, laughing and kissing just like they would always do. She brought herself closer to him when she saw him lean in, when they were inches apart, he placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her.

This was the best part.

The part where they find each other again. Where this time they do live happily ever after and they grow up together and have kids.

This was it.

The teenagers who were so in love with each other that no obstacle was too big for them. They would survive it and at the end of the day it was them two who won. Who was never cracked nor broken but remained heavily intact and admired.

She loved it all. She loved him. The same way he loved her.

"I love you, Lucas Friar," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. When their eyes made contact again all she could do was smile. All she could do was feel happy.

"And I love you, Riley Matthews."

 **The End**

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 **Writers Note: I want to thank you guys for reading this story. I know that it came a year late but rather late than never, right? This journey was my first and I guess I can say that part of the reason this took so long to publish was because I was debating with myself about somethings. Writing means a lot to me and it lets me create a story where I have complete control over things that you guys seem to enjoy...so...I want to say that I DO have another story I am working on and it is one I am planning on publishing. It's a story that will have it's cute moments but will also change the characters emotionally. With that being said, I will not be going on another break. I will be publishing one more story and I hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **New story coming soon!**

 **Thank you guys so much for reading.**

 **Follow, Favorite and Review**


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